Washington tree fruit industry bestows awards at Yakima banquet – Good Fruit Grower

Ed Ing, Invoice Zirkle, Leo Garcia and Dave Gleason all took residence honors on Dec. 10 on the Washington State Tree Fruit Affiliation’s annual business awards banquet in Yakima.Ing, a longtime worker at Mount Adams Fruit in White Salmon, obtained the Silver Pear Award.“The pear business has a brilliant future,” Ing mentioned.Ed Ing, left, receives the Silver Pear Award on Dec. 10 from Jeff Baldwin on the Washington State Tree Fruit Affiliation Annual Assembly awards banquet on the Yakima Conference Middle. (Ross Courtney/Good Fruit Grower)Ing has labored at Mount Adams for 41 years and has held a number of totally different roles, now as director of product. He additionally has an extended historical past of serving on business teams. He at the moment is a member of the Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers analysis committee, the Northwest Horticultural Council’s meals security government committee and the analysis subcommittee of the Recent Pear Committee, amongst others. He additionally operates 90 acres of pears, apples and cherries in Oregon’s Hood River Valley.Invoice Zirkle, founding father of Rainier Fruit Co. in Selah, received the Silver Apple Award.“There’s a number of components within the robust state we’re in, however our ship will proper itself, and I hope that we’re all right here when it does so we may be part of it,” he mentioned.Invoice Zirkle, left, receives the Silver Apple Award on Dec. 10 from Jeff Baldwin on the Washington State Tree Fruit Affiliation Annual Assembly awards banquet on the Yakima Conference Middle. (Ross Courtney/Good Fruit Grower)Born on a 33-acre farm close to Selah, he and his household constructed a 900-bin chilly storage warehouse and packing line. He based Rainier Fruit Gross sales in 1974 and led each Zirkle Fruit and the gross sales firm till passing the enterprise to his son, Mark, in 2009. Although not in cost, he’s nonetheless concerned with the businesses and the fruit business.Longtime educator Garcia obtained the Distinguished Service Award.“I’m not up right here alone, as a result of all of the business greats … lifted me up,” Garcia mentioned.Leo Garcia, left, receives the Distinguished Service Award on Dec. 10 from Jeff Baldwin on the Washington State Tree Fruit Affiliation Annual Assembly awards banquet on the Yakima Conference Middle. (Ross Courtney/Good Fruit Grower)The previous orchard employee, supervisor and fieldman served as lead college for the two-year tree fruit program at Wenatchee Valley School and developed the school’s Hispanic Orchard Worker Schooling Program that’s designed to coach Latino supervisors and managers. 1000’s of scholars have taken the programs. He retired in 2021 however nonetheless affords non-public coaching and workshops.Dave GleasonGleason, a bilingual horticulturalist for Domex Superfresh Growers in Yakima, was given the Latino Management Award.Intrigued by the cultural backgrounds of the employees at his household’s farm, Gleason discovered totally different languages at a younger age. He studied German and Spanish in highschool and earned a bachelor’s diploma in German at Central Washington College with a minor in Spanish. Throughout his a few years within the fruit business, he has typically spent days talking extra Spanish than English. He ceaselessly participates in Spanish-language discipline days and Latino cultural occasions.Gleason was unable to attend the banquet as a result of he’s touring with the Worldwide Fruit Tree Affiliation in South Africa. Armando Escareno accepted the award on his behalf. —by Ross Courtney



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