Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/63050
QUICK BITES Read more Quick Bites at www.goodfruit.com. Call for: New H-2 labor specialists in Washington State T • TREES • ROOTSTOCK • INTERSTEMS • BENCH GRAFTS • SLEEPING EYES • ROYALTIES he Washington Growers League has teamed with MASLabor of Virginia to provide H-2 worker services to agricultural employers in Washington State. MASLabor is headed by Libby Whitley Fulton, former executive vice president of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, who has more than 20 years of experience working on Capitol Hill as congressional staff member and handling leg- islative affairs for the American Farm Bureau. MASLabor helps coordinate all aspects of the H-2A and H-2B guestworker programs, from applications to recruitment to visa issuance and transportation. The Growers League recently ended their Northwest Growers Association, a service to assist growers with the H-2A program, due to insufficient demand to profitably support the program. The Growers League's executive director Mike Gempler saw opportunity to provide quality H-2 services to its members in Washington State and other agricultural employers by working with MASLabor, a company already established with an existing client base. "I've known the principals of MASLabor for 25 years, and they are a thoroughly professional H-2A provider… and they have the policy background and connections to keep up with changes in the law and regulations," Gempler said. TOP QUALITY VIRUS TESTED VERY COMPETITIVE PRICING CONTRACTS FOR 2013, 2014, 2015 Custom Contracted Apple, Pear, Cherry & Peach Trees A TIMELY REMINDER: • Time to order 2013 Dormant Eyes, 2014 and 2015 Trees, and 2013 Rootstocks. Paul Tvergyak: 509-669-0689 ptvergyak@genext.net We ship nationwide, so please call for price and availability! 509/662-6931 www.cameronnursery.com 1261 Ringold Rd., PO Box 300 • Eltopia, WA 99330 6 MAY 1, 2012 GOOD FRUIT GROWER I wineries get paperwork break Small S mall Washington State wineries selling less than 6,000 gallons of wine per year in the state now have the option of report- ing and paying their state liquor taxes annually instead of monthly. The new law, supported by the Family Wineries of Washington State, was signed by Governor Christine Gregoire on March 13 and becomes effective June 7, 2012. SB 5259 and HB 1373 were approved overwhelmingly in both houses and received bipartisan support, according to Paul Beveridge, president of the Family Wineries group. The winery group worked for four years to change the present law that requires all wineries to report their taxes each month, even if no sales took place for the month. "When you consider that 65 percent of Washington's 700-plus wineries produce less than 1,000 gallons of wine per year, it's obvious that this bill will significantly reduce paperwork for a large number of people," Beveridge said in a news release. Out-of-state wineries that ship only one or two cases of wine a year into Washington will also benefit from the new rule. Scholarships for wine grape students scholarships are offered through the Washington Wine Industry Foundation. Last year, scholarship awards totaled $18,000. Deadline for all scholarships is June 1, 2012. Scholarship applications are available online at www.washingtonwinefoundation.org. A series of scholarships are available for high school seniors or graduates and college students planning to enroll in a college viticulture and/or enology program. The CORRECTION n the April 1, 2012, "Last Bite," Winesap was incorrectly identified as possibly having Fameuse as one of its parents. In fact, Fameuse is likely a parent of the McIntosh apple. Good Fruit Grower regrets the error. www.goodfruit.com QUALITY FRUIT TREES ! HIGHEST