For Immediate Release: Feb. 27, 2023
Contact: Marilyn Bay Drake 303-594-3827 admin@coloradoproduce.org
Members of the Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) attending the 9th Annual Conference, Feb. 21-22, elected or re-elected four Board directors. David Harold, Tuxedo Corn, Olathe, was re-elected to a two-year term. Newly-elected Board members, each elected to a three-year term, include Ewell Culbertson, Fortunate Fruit, Delta; Cade Kunugi, Kunugi Farms, Blanca; and Colleen Daszkiewicz, Food Bank of the Rockies, Denver.
Following the election, Board members selected Roger Mix, Mix Farms, Center, to lead the organization as Board president. Harold was selected to serve as vice president. Mix, who has served on the CFVGA Board of Directors for seven years, replaces Bruce Talbott, Talbott Mountain Gold, Palisade, who had served CFVGA as president for the past two years. Talbott was the only voting member still on the Board since 2015 when the first Board was seated.
Nick Heitkemper, Rabo AgriFinance, Loveland, was re-elected to serve as secretary, and Alisha Knapp, Knapp Farms, Rocky Ford, was re-elected treasurer.
Conference attendees had an opportunity to delve into and learn more about the key issues facing Colorado produce growers during the two-day conference. Topics included drought resiliency, ag labor, advocacy, food safety, implementation of the Ag Labor Rights & Responsibilities Act as well as dry bean production and marketing. The conference concluded with the Grower-Buyer Networking Session, an opportunity for growers and buyers to meet and explore doing business together.
The CFVGA is comprised of more than 250 members, including growers of all sizes and types of production throughout the state, as well as representatives of allied industries. The Colorado fruit and vegetable growing sector contributes nearly $485 million to Colorado at the farm gate and is multiplied as it goes through the distribution chain. Over 90,000 Colorado acres are in fruit and vegetable production.
-30-
