Making sure all forms count

Above, Mark Munger and Connie Fisher talk at the PBH March 18 board meeting in San Francisco.

One of the "take-away" (when did that nugget enter our lingo, by the way?) messages from the San Francisco PBH board meeting is that the foundation and the Fruits & Veggies - More Matters national partnership will try to more effectively communicate that "all forms of fruits and vegetables count." Whether the 5 a Day message or More Matters, there are product promotable criteria for using the logo, or brand if you will.

Connie Fisher, senior v.p. of PBH, provided a table to me that explains how these "product promotable criteria" have changed somewhat with the new More Matters campaign. In my reading, some of these changes - greater allowances for added sugar, for example - may help to more easily promote canned and frozen fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, some criteria are apparently stricter. Here is the table, exactly as Connie emailed it to me.

With new members of the board such as Sara Rose of the Bush Brothers & Company (of bean fame - and yes beans are vegetables) the 120-member PBH board of trustees represents a diverse mix of advocates that will want to deliver on the message to consumers that all forms do indeed count. My hope is that the energy to communicate the needed message that "all forms count" doesn't end up diminishing the belief many consumers have in the primacy of fresh produce.

The healthiest state

Vermont - I've never been there. But apparently it has some serious momentum as a haven for health. This news release passed on by a Fresh Talk reader describes Vt. as the "healthiest state." Kansas ranks a respectable 10th.

“Vermont certainly has earned bragging rights to the Healthiest State honors,” said Scott Morgan, President of Morgan Quitno Press. “It offers great access to primary care doctors, has a low teen birth rate and a high percentage of citizens covered by health insurance. In addition, the people of Vermont are physically fit: it has one of the lowest obesity rates among states and some of the highest percentages of citizens who exercise.”
Following Vermont were Minnesota in second place, Massachusetts in third, Maine in fourth and New Hampshire in fifth. Bringing up the end of the rankings scale were Louisiana in last place, New Mexico in 49th, Mississippi in 48th, Nevada in 47th and Florida in 46th place.


TK: The northern tier get payback for all the winter storms...

From the same people comes a list of the safest and most dangerous states, with this teaser...

Why does Nevada hang on to the most dangerous title while North Dakota owns the safest state title?

Morgan softens the blow...

Despite Nevada’s continuing struggle with crime, there is hope on the horizon,” said Morgan. “Its robbery rate fell more than 7% from 2004 to 2005, signaling a positive change for the state.”

Nevada's chamber of commerce can grab hold of that, at least. Meanwhile, North Dakota has a death grip on its "safest state" crown.

Where have all the bees gone?

In testimony before the House Agriculture Committee today:

Dr. Diana Cox-Foster, PhD, Professor, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania said this:

As you know and have heard in the testimony by the USDA-ARS, honey bees are essential for the pollination of over 90 fruit and vegetable crops worldwide. The economic worth of the honey bee is valued at more than $14.6 billion in the U.S. In Pennsylvania alone, honey bees and pollination are worth $65 million annually through fruit crops, forage, and bee products (most notably honey). In addition to agricultural crops, honey bees also pollinate many native plants in the ecosystem. Populations of honey bees are in jeopardy due to the 1988 introduction of varroa mites, recognized previously as a major threat to bee colonies in the U.S. Down from a peak of 80,000 colonies in 1982, an estimated 38,500 colonies in September 2006 are being managed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Recently, increased deaths in bee colonies with unique symptoms (termed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)) seriously threaten the ability of the bee industry to meet the diverse pollination needs of fruit and vegetable producers within the State and across the United States. These symptoms have now been reported in 24 states across the continental United States and in two Canadian provinces.


And later....

In CCD, the bee colony proceeds rapidly from a strong colony with many individuals to a colony with few or no surviving bees. Queens are found in collapsing colonies with a few young adult bees, lots of brood, and more than adequate food resources. No dead adult bees are found in the colony or outside in proximity to the colony. A unique aspect of CCD is that there is a significant delay in robbing of the dead colony by bees from other colonies or invasion by pest insects such as waxworm moths or small hive beetles; this suggests the presence of a deterrent chemical or toxin in the hive.

H2A in WA

I made several calls about H2A yesterday, and it reminded me of why Don Harris of Wild Oats says he loves retailing. He shows up at 6 a.m., preparing to be amazed at what the day will bring him.

I miss 6 a.m. by a couple of hours at least, but one of the great and amazing things about this job is learning new things from interesting people, pure and simple.

Yesterday, one of my visits was with Mike Gempler is the executive director of the Washington Growers League in Yakima. He told me participation in the H2A program is increasing - though still modest - with "a lot of people interested in dipping their toe in" and finding out how the program works. For about seven years, the League has had an internal unit called the Northwest Growers Association that has assisted growers in the H2A application process.

"It has started picking up the last couple of years, and this year a lot more people are starting out with it" he said.
Gempler said the number of workers in the H2A program pales in comparison to ag labor needed in the state. At the peak of apple harvest, he said 45,000 workers are needed to pick the crop, and perhaps 100,000 workers are needed through the course of the season. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Labor certified only 826 H2A workers last year.

But growers count the H2A program as a plus.

"There is a need because there is a labor shortage," he said. At the same time, growers who go the way of H2A are shifting to much more of a hands-on approach to labor than before. It means dealing with people who are perhaps in the U.S. for the first time, providing their housing and often other needs.

He said about 12 specialty crop growers have applied to the H2A program this year and perhaps about two dozen could engage the program by later in the year. Last year, perhaps six to eight growers were involved, he said.

H2A Workers requested under the program range from 20 to 150 people per employer, he said. The limiting factor for most farms is housing, since the program mandates living quarters for the guest workers. Some farms are refurbishing existing housing, but the vast majority of growers don't have housing and are building their own units or perhaps renting an apartment complex with other growers.

Gempler said growers who used the program last year are using it again this year, and some are upping the numbers of workers they request.
"Most growers were very happy to have a workforce that was available and motivated..it worked well." he said.

The fee charged by the Northwest Growers' Association is about $200 per worker application to cover the costs of the process and the services provided. Labor can be certified from between four months and ten months, he said.

"A short contract is very difficult for a number of reasons," he said, noting that some employers can cooperate to give workers a longer contract.

The Northwest Growers Association uses guest workers from Mexico. "Our infrastructure is set up for them," he said, noting that the region has had a Mexican and Mexican American workforce in recent history.

The guest workers can do quite well for themselves, he said. While in Mexico, some may make just $1,000 a year, the H2A program allows them to earn perhaps $10,000 over the course of five months based on a contract of 200 hours per month. Because housing is paid for, workers can save as much as $9,000 of their wages.

"All they have to pay for is food and entertainment," he said.

Gempler said whether or not Congress can pass immigration reform this year, he believes the H2A program will be more widely used in the years ahead.

"Increased enforcement at the border is already having an impact and proposed immigration laws - each and every one - has a document control feature and a mandatory electronic verification of identity," he said.

Inching closer to a deal

Press reports indicate South Korea and the U.S. are inching closer to a deal on a free trade agreement, with rice and beef still to be resolved.

Yesterday I visited with Mark Powers of the Northwest Horticultural Council, recently returned form Seoul. Thankfully, he saw no rampaging farmers at his hotel, but that doesn't mean South Korean farmers are happy.

"My takeaway is that all the ag issues are tough, it doesn't matter which one you choose," he said. Whether citrus, apples, pears, grapes, beef or rice, everything is contested. Powers said he visited a retailer in South Korea where the best apples were priced at $8 to $10 U.S. dollars each. Obviously, consumers there are in need of some relief.

While the Doha talks languish, Chile continues to be active in setting up free trade deals - most recently announcing a pact with Japan.