Sonia Tighe Joins GenNext Growers Advisory Council

Posted by Christina Herrick|February 4, 2014

Sonia Tighe, executive director of the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation with the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, has been named a Founding Member of the Advisory Council of the GenNext Growers™ initiative.

Tighe partners with University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and USDA on research grants which benefit Florida growers, and administers a scholarship program for children of migrant workers. Additionally, Tighe directs the Emerging Leader Development Program, targeted to members of FFVA ages 25-40. FFVA’s emerging leader program focuses on industry issues and specialty crop production. In addition, Tighe works on membership development for FFVA.

Prior to joining FFVA, Tighe worked for Vance Publishing for 25 years for industry publications The Packer, Citrus & Vegetable Magazine, and The Grower. She is the chairwoman of the Florida Ag Expo Committee, and is a member of the USDA Liaison Committee, the Florida chapter of National Agri-Marketing Association, the RCMA Christmas Card Steering Committee and the Wedgworth Leadership Institute Advisory Council.

About the GenNext Growers Initiative
The GenNext Growers Initiative was founded in 2013 by American Fruit Grower, American Vegetable Grower, and Florida Grower magazines as a cross-produce-industry “umbrella” initiative to help identify, inform and inspire the next generation of growers who:

Were born after 1970
Are preparing to assume, or already have assumed, leadership in a farming enterprise
Have a passion to produce high-quality specialty crops: fruits, vegetables, and citrus
Seek to be advocates for their industry

The aim of this Initiative is to identify, develop and promote across the industry the best practices of the nation’s most promising up-and-coming specialty crop growers; to help pull together and bring a national voice to the many national, state, and regional young growers programs currently underway; and to ensure a smooth generational transition and the long-term viability of America’s fruit, vegetable and citrus industries.