<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div></div><div>Hi Kurt, </div><div><br></div><div>Would you be able to provide numbers? I'd love to be able to have actionable data, and some baselines, to back this all up. And, if you have them, numbers for the last 35 years would go a long way to really make the point.</div><div><br></div><div>-Jeff Harner</div><div>Mahantonga Mt. Orchard, PA</div><div><br>On Jan 29, 2017, at 4:28 PM, Kurt W. Alstede <<a href="mailto:kurt@alstedefarms.com">kurt@alstedefarms.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Hello Fellow Horticulturalists and Farmers,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">I debated whether I should opine or not…there seems to be so little tolerance these days for alternative view points. Yet, to suggest that politics don’t influence our businesses and farms would be not only a mistake but also a disservice to our goal of helping and supporting one another who grow apples. What I can share with you with confidence as a full time family farm owner in New Jersey is that farming under the Obama administration was more difficult, more costly, and much more challenging than any other time in my 35 years of farming. I have seen a steady increase in the direct costs associated with regulatory compliance as well as the amount of management time that I and my team spend simply making sure that our business can operate….none of which helps us grow a better apple for our customers. We are only 10 days into the new administration and I can tell you that I look forward to the opportunity to advance our family business to the next generation in an environment that once again values and rewards the entrepreneur, hard work, rural values, and the risk that we all take each year as farmers. I also look forward to a positive business environment that will allow us to expand our farm, purchase and preserve more farmland, employ more people, and stimulate the local economy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Simply stated….I am very excited!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Best wishes for a successful growing season and may God Bless the United States of America.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Script MT Bold";color:black">Kurt W. Alstede<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">General Manager,</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">Alstede Farms, LLC<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">P.O. Box 278<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">1 Alstede Farms Lane,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">Chester, New Jersey 07930<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">United States of America<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">Tel: 908-879-7189<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">Fax: 908-879-7815<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><a href="http://www.alstedefarms.com">www.alstedefarms.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><image001.jpg></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Edwardian Script ITC";color:black"><image002.jpg></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> apple-crop [<a href="mailto:apple-crop-bounces@virtualorchard.com">mailto:apple-crop-bounces@virtualorchard.com</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Vincent Philion<br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, January 29, 2017 4:14 PM<br><b>To:</b> Apple-Crop discussion list<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Apple-Crop] Future of Extension Assistance to Apple Crop<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class="MsoNormal">Please keep "alternative facts" and politics out of this thread. <br><br>Vincent Philion, agr., M.Sc.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><br>Le 29 janv. 2017 à 16:06, Hugh Thomas <<a href="mailto:hughthomas44@gmail.com">hughthomas44@gmail.com</a>> a écrit :<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt"><div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#1C1C1C">The intended effect was to promote the idea that the right wing extremist Donald Trump was trying to suppress opposition voices. Contrast this to the fact that for years the fascist left has threatened any scientist that questions global warming. The death penalty has been called for many times. By the way, the idea: “97% of scientists agree…” is just more fake news.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class="MsoNormal">On Sun, Jan 29, 2017 at 11:04 AM, Daniel Cooley <<a href="mailto:dcooley@umass.edu" target="_blank">dcooley@umass.edu</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class="MsoNormal">Since journalists are among the most dishonest human beings on earth, we probably should all just stop paying attention to the news, and let the new administration get on with the important business of making America great again. No offense Con, but America first! <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">But if you’re not inclined to stop paying attention, it turns out the USDA kerfuffle came about from an internal decision, not the White House. It strikes me as typical of ARS culture. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/01/firestorm-over-supposed-gag-order-agricultural-scientists-was-self-inflicted-wound" target="_blank">http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/01/firestorm-over-supposed-gag-order-agricultural-scientists-was-self-inflicted-wound</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Dan<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><br>_______________________________________________<br>apple-crop mailing list<br><a href="mailto:apple-crop@virtualorchard.com">apple-crop@virtualorchard.com</a><br><a href="http://virtualorchard.com/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop" target="_blank">http://virtualorchard.com/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt"><div><p class="MsoNormal">_______________________________________________<br>apple-crop mailing list<br><a href="mailto:apple-crop@virtualorchard.com">apple-crop@virtualorchard.com</a><br><a href="http://virtualorchard.com/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop">http://virtualorchard.com/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>apple-crop mailing list</span><br><span><a href="mailto:apple-crop@virtualorchard.com">apple-crop@virtualorchard.com</a></span><br><span><a href="http://virtualorchard.com/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop">http://virtualorchard.com/mailman/listinfo/apple-crop</a></span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>