06/06/05 Organic tree fruit research symposium,Pt1

06/06/05 Organic tree fruit research symposium,Pt1

A diverse group of people interested in the potential of organic tree fruit as an industry, and from a research standpoint, came together in 2001 in Colorado to hold the first ever National Organic Tree Fruit Research Symposium. The event has been held every odd year since. But for this year's event, David Granatstein of Washington State University's Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource says the Symposium organizers wanted a change of venue. GRANATSTEIN: People wanted to come to Washington because we are the largest organic tree fruit, at least for apples, and pears, and cherries, in the country and they wanted to come out and see what we were doing here, what our industry looked like, what some of the research was like. So today through Wednesday, a full attendance will gather in Chelan for the third National Organic Tree Fruit Research Symposium. Granatstein says the kick-off event will be dedicated to giving national and international participants a look at our region's organic tree fruit industry. GRANATSTEIN: We felt that for most people that speaks the loudest seeing things on the ground, hearing it from growers in the field or from researchers out there in their plots, looking at what's going on. So we will spend the entire first day touring some orchards and actually, an organic packing house, in North Central Washington. In our next program, the agenda for day two of the Symposium, and the goals for this year's event.
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