Washington Fruit Growers To Meet In Wenatchee
October 17, 2013 
The Washington State Horticultural Association’s (WSHA) Annual Meeting, Postharvest Conference, and Northwest Hort Expo is bringing the world of horticulture to Wenatchee, WA, on December 2-4, 2013.
The WSHA Annual Meeting is a three-day educational gathering of tree fruit growers and shippers that serves as a forum to discuss the latest trends and hot topics occurring within the tree fruit industry. This year’s meeting theme “Is Your Orchard Ready? Preparing Your Operation for the Next Generation” has a lineup of world-renowned speaker with tree fruit backgrounds locally, nationally, and globally. Their knowledge and experience will be sure to deliver educational messages to all those attending the meeting.
The keynote speaker Terence Robinson, rofessor of pomology in the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University in Geneva, NY, will give the 34th Annual Batjer Address titled “A Vision for Apple and Pear Orchards of the Future.” Other presentations and discussions of note include:
• Panel discussions on “Varieties: Finding The Winners” and “Effective Orchard Systems” featuring growers from across the state and researchers from around the world.
• Additional panels on using protective covers, best practices for food safety in the field, and finding and retaining good workers during harvest.
• Updates on industry consolidation, and how the Affordable Care Act will affect business owners and employees.
• Concurrent educational tracks on automation and mechanization; pest and disease management; crop-specific information for cherry and pear growers; postharvest trends; soil health; and application technology.
“This meeting was planned to give a look into the future: new sprayer technologies, narrow orchard canopies designed for mechanization, varietal planting options, and robotic tray fillers, to mention only a few of the topics,” notes Jeff Cleveringa, president of the WSHA board of directors. “Our industry will be producing much larger volumes of fruit which will require having to develop new markets. we all need to keep our focus on producing only high-quality fruit.”
The educational sessions will take place at the Wenatchee Convention Center. The Northwest Hort Expo & Trade Show, featuring more than 100 vendors, is held in conjunction with the three-day annual meeting in the lower level of the convention center. Spanish-language sessions will also be held all-day Tuesday, Dec. 3. The association’s annual banquet, sponsored by Western Fruit Grower, will also take place later that evening.
A full annual meeting program guide listing meeting events, as well as a registration form and lodging information, are available on the WSHA web-site at www.wahort.org.
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