Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/40315
QUICK BITES Go to www.goodfruit.com for the latest industry news. Cherry marketing order referendum T he U.S. Department of Agriculture will hold a referendum in November on whether to continue the federal marketing order for Washington sweet cherries. A continuation referendum is held once every six years. The Washington Cherry Marketing Committee admin- isters the marketing order. Manager B.J. Thurlby said it serves an important function on behalf of the industry as it oversees the regulations con- cerning grade, size, quality, and packaging of Washington sweet cherries. The committee collects an assessment of 40 cents per ton. The referendum will be held November 5–8. Ballots will be mailed to all eligible grow- ers. The referendum will pass if either two-thirds of the growers, or producers accounting for two-thirds of the volume of sweet cherries, vote to continue the order. Eligible growers who do not receive a ballot should contact the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service field office in Portland, Oregon, phone (503) 362-2724. Happy news for apples I n September, McDonald's Corporation will begin rolling out a new Happy Meal that will automatically include a quarter cup of apple slices. The company announced that on July 26, as part of its new plan called "commitments to offer improved nutrition choices." The Happy Meal with apples will come with a smaller serving (1.1 ounces) of French fries. Customers can choose two bags of apple slices in place of French fries. They can also opt for French fries instead of apples. The meal comes with a hamburger, cheeseburger, or chicken nuggets, and a beverage. McDonald's longer-term plan is to reduce added sugars, sodium, and fats, and to offer low-fat plain or chocolate milk along with pop as beverage choices. The plan is to cut calories in a Happy Meal by 20 percent, down from 470 to 375. The Happy Meal apples come as slices only, without the caramel dip offered with its Apple Dippers. "This is great news for apples," said Nancy Foster, president and CEO of the U.S. Apple Association. "McDonald's announcement is expected to significantly increase demand for fresh sliced apples. By providing them in every Happy Meal, McDonald's will help boost the overall category and keep apples even more top of mind for consumers." McDonald's has offered apples as a requested choice in Happy Meals since 2004, the company said, but its research shows that while 88 percent of customers knew of the choice, only 11 percent opted for apples over French fries. The company said it was exploring other produce options besides apples. McDonald's is the country's largest fast-food chain, with 14,000 restaurants serving an estimated 26 million customers every day. Wally Heuser honored gan, has won recognition as Cherry Industry Person of the Year. The award was made during the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. Heuser has had a strong impact on the cherry industry. W International Plant Management brought Gisela rootstocks to the United States from Germany and fostered their introduc- tion. The company is now in charge of evaluating and intro- ducing new sweet cherry varieties developed by plant breeders at Cornell University before cherry breeding efforts there ended. Key new varieties include the Pearl series—Bur- gundyPearl, EbonyPearl, BlackPearl, and RadiancePearl. Heuser is an authority on fruit varieties, rootstocks, and orchard design and manage- ment systems. International Plant Management has, since its creation in 1989, release 40 new varieties and has more than 100 under test. Heuser was founder and first president of the International Fruit Tree Association, formed in the 1950s to evaluate and promote apple trees on dwarfing rootstocks. He received that organization's first Hall of Fame Award. He is a past president of the Michigan State Horticultural Society, the Michigan Peach Sponsors, and the National Peach Council. To read the full story, go to the People page at www.goodfruit.com. I Correction n a photograph illustrating the article "Twin leaders fill canopy quickly" in our August issue, the two people were misidentified. Chelan orchardist Ray Fuller was on the right of the photo. Good Fruit Grower regrets the error. www.goodfruit.com allace "Wally" Heuser, president of Summit Sales and International Plant Management in Lawrence, Michi- TOP QUALITY VIRUS TESTED VERY COMPETITIVE PRICING CONTRACTS FOR 2012, 2013, 2014 Custom Contracted Apple, Pear, Cherry & Peach Trees FIELD GROWN AND GREEN GROW GRAPE VINES Call for varieties, pricing, and orders. A TIMELY REMINDER: •Time to decide rootstock needs for 2012 bench grafts and 2014 trees. 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