News Releases

For Immediate Release: June 6, 2017
Contact: Marilyn Drake 303-594-3827 or admin@coloradoproduce.org

As Colorado’s produce season arrives, the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) is asking consumers to buy local.

“Colorado’s high day time temperatures countered by cool nights, give our fruit a sweeter, more intense flavor,” said Bruce Talbott, Talbott’s Gold, Palisade, Colo., a fifth-generation Colorado fruit farmer. He also notes that the very cold winters kill many of the pests with which other fruit-producing areas must contend

For Immediate Release: May 20, 2017

Contacts:
Robert Sakata 303-947-3097 or rtsakata@aol.com
Marilyn Bay Drake 303-594-3827 or admin@coloradoproduce.org

Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) President Robert Sakata, Sakata Farms, Brighton, Colo., returned yesterday from a three-day visit to the nation’s capital where he Joined Western Growers members in talking to members of Congress and the Trump administration about the challenges facing Colorado produce growers.

For Immediate Release: April 28, 2017
Contacts: Martha Sullins 970-491-3330 or martha.sullins@colostate.edu
Marilyn Drake 303-594-3827 or admin@coloradoproduce.org

The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), Colorado State University (CSU) Extension and the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) invite produce growers to a Produce Safety Rule Grower Training, May 11 at the Colorado Department of Agriculture, 305 Interlocken Parkway, Broomfield.

For Immediate Release: April 27, 2017
Contacts: Robert Sakata 303-947-3097 or rtsakata@aol.com
Marilyn Bay Drake 303-594-3827 or admin@coloradoproduce.org

Robert Sakata, Sakata Farms, Brighton, Colo., and president of the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA), yesterday urged members of the Colorado Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee not to impose Colorado agriculture the paperwork burden for another regulation.

CFVGA applauds the decision of the committee following Sakata’s and other testimonies to indefinitely table the bill, which had already passed the House.

For Immediate Release: April 17, 2017

Contacts: Robert Sakata 303-947-3097 or rtsakata@aol.com

The Center for Produce Safety (CPS) will be bringing its annual Research Symposium to Denver June 20-21 at the Denver Hyatt Regency. It is the first time ever CPS, whose goal is to fund research that will give produce growers practical solutions and technology to prevent or minimize produce safety vulnerabilities, will bring its symposium to Colorado.

“We feel so strongly about the value of this event to growers that we requested and were awarded money from the Specialty Crop Block Grant to help growers attend,” said Colorado Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) President Robert Sakata. “The grant money along with our organization’s commitment will allow us to offer grower members scholarships that can potentially reimburse over 70 percent of the symposium registration and lodging costs.”

For Immediate Release: April 7, 2017
Contacts: Robert Sakata 303-947-3097 or rtsakata@aol.com
Marilyn Bay Drake 303-594-3827 or admin@coloradoproduce.org

Robert Sakata, Sakata Farms, Brighton, Colo., was elected last month by the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) board of directors to serve a fourth year as president of the association. He has been elected president each year, since 2014 when CFVGA was founded.

Other officers elected include Roger Mix, Mix Farms, Center, Colo., vice president; and Glenn Hirakata, Hirakata Farms, Rocky Ford, Colo., secretary. Reid Fishering, Mountain Quality Sweet Corn, Olathe, Colo., was re-elected treasurer.

For Immediate Release: Jan. 10, 2017

Contacts: Martha Sullins 970-491-3330 or martha.sullins@colostate.edu

Marilyn Drake 303-594-3827 or admin@coloradoproduce.org

The Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union (RMFU) will host a Produce Safety Training, Feb. 20 at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel. Completion of this Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) training will enable growers to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that went into effect last year.

For Immediate Release: Jan. 6, 2017
Contacts:
CFVGA: Robert Sakata 303-947-3097 or rtsakata@aol.com
Western Growers: Sonia Salas 949-885-2251 or ssalas@WGA.com

The Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) is teaming up with Western Growers to offer a course on Preventive Controls for Human Food to help growers and packers of produce comply with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Preventive Controls for Human Food rule. The course, which was developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance, will be held Feb. 1-3, at the Adams County Extension Office in Brighton, Colo.

For Immediate Release: Dec. 2, 2016

Contacts: Robert Sakata 303-947-3097 or rtsakata@aol.com

Marilyn Bay Drake 303-594-3827 or admin@coloradoproduce.org

The Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) is pleased to announce Pamela Riemenschneider, editor of Produce Retailer magazine, as its keynote speaker for the CFVGA’s Third Annual Conference to be held Feb. 21, 2017 at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel. She will kick off the conference with a look at how consumer trends shape retail, including a special preview of the 2017 Fresh Trends survey results.

For Immediate Release: Oct. 21, 2016

Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) President Robert Sakata, Sakata Family Farms, Brighton, was one of 25 individuals nationally recognized by The Packer, a Farm Journal publication, for his work and accomplishments in the produce industry. The list of 25 honorees was announced in a special publication, The Packer 25, released last weekend at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit in Orlando, Fla. The publication was distributed to the 20,889 attendees from 65 countries.