<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Helvetica;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Calibri Light";
panose-1:2 15 3 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Greetings Apple Growers:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">How do I know it’s almost time for spring? Certainly not the
<span style="color:#222222;background:white">Punxsutawney Phil </span>groundhog/shadow deal. First off, the idea of a rodent seeing his shadow meaning there is another six dark weeks of winter has never made any sense to me. Sunshine should be a sign of spring,
not more winter. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Besides that, I raised two kids in California’s San Joaquin Valley. How in the world did I explain to them when mid-February rolled around that we’d have to wait another month for spring
because two weeks earlier a groundhog nearly 3,000 miles away predicted an extended winter? I didn’t. First, my kids aren’t stupid. Second, that’s a pretty tough sell because most years that’s right around peak almond bloom and there are flowers everywhere.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">No, I know a far more reliable way, when Cornell University Professor and Tree Fruit Entomologist Art Agnello emails the first volume of “Scaffolds” of the year to everyone on this apple-crop
list. He issued Volume 27, Issue 1, yesterday, so it’s time for me to make my annual request of you.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Please take a few minutes and nominate a worthy apple grower today. We all know it’s a worthy avocation/profession. (The first word doesn’t sound serious, but the second sounds like too
much work!) I can’t tell you how much the award means to growers.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">I’ve heard talkative men who upon being named suddenly find it tough to speak. And I’ve seen another who couldn’t speak at all for a couple moments; he just let a few tears trickle down
his cheeks.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">So please, take a few minutes,
<a href="http://www.growingproduce.com/fruits/apple-grower-of-the-year/submit-your-nomination-for-the-2018-apple-grower-of-the-year/">
click here now</a>, and let’s honor someone who truly deserves it. In this world too-full of phonies, at least we know we can come up with a few apple growers who are the real deal.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif">Best Regards/Dave</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">David Eddy|
<span style="color:gray">Editor</span><span style="color:#948A54"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#92D050"><a href="http://www.meistermedia.com/"><span style="color:#92D050">Meister Media Worldwide</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#948A54">
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">| <i>American/Western Fruit Grower<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">3509 Coffee Road, Suite D-20<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">Modesto, CA 95355-1356 USA<span style="color:#948A54"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">O: 209-573-8740 |
<span style="color:#92D050"><a href="mailto:DEddy@MeisterMedia.com"><span style="color:#92D050">DEddy@MeisterMedia.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#92D050"><a href="http://www.growingproduce.com/"><span style="color:#92D050">GrowingProduce.com</span></a></span></u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#92D050">
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif">|<span style="color:#92D050">
</span><span style="color:gray">@dave_wfg_avg</span><span style="color:#92D050"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#00B050"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="133" height="29" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D3C5AA.087C9190" alt="Description: A-WFG_logo_150x33"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>