July 2010 NHC NEWS A Monthly Bulletin of the Northwest Horticultural Council DR. JOHNSON and YOUTH In middle to late 18th century London, Samuel Johnson wrote essays touching upon the human condition.  The following sound advice appeared in the Rambler: He that enlarges his curiosity after the works of nature, demonstrably multiplies the inlets to happiness; and, therefore, the younger part of my readers, to whom I dedicate this vernal speculation, must excuse me for calling upon them, to make use at once of the spring of the year, and the spring of life; to acquire, while their minds may yet be impressed with new images, a love of innocent pleasures, and an ardour for useful knowledge; and to remember, that a blighted spring makes a barren year, and that vernal flowers, however beautiful and gay, are only intended by nature as preparatives to autumnal fruits. ¨   FOOD SAFETY The Northwest Horticultural Council works on a multitude of food safety issues as they touch upon our tree fruit industry.  For example, there continues to be a number of publicity campaigns driven by specific environmental advocacy groups such as the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” annual campaign against the presence of pesticide residues on fresh produce and the one by the Environmental Law Foundation alleging that improper levels of toxic lead are present in many processed pear and apple products.  In addition, countries such as Taiwan and Korea have made international trade difficult recently due to their uneven enforcement of technical MRLs (maximum residue levels) on imported fresh fruit.  Looking ahead, Congress is poised to pass a reform food safety measure with broad significance for the full sweep of the nation’s produce industry. Often these food safety issues require special media, trade policy, regulatory, or legislative attention and skills.  For example, in terms of media issues, the NHC has worked closely with the Alliance for Food and Farming, based in California, to combat the unfair statements ricocheting around newspaper food columns and day-time talk shows that have been raised by EWG’s “Dirty Dozen” campaign.  For Taiwan and Korea, we rely heavily on assistance by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and officials in United States embassies in these two countries.  For regulatory help on agricultural chemicals we work with the help of the Minor Crop Farmer Alliance, a coalition based in Washington, D.C.  And, the United Fresh Produce Association is our main avenue for merging our industry’s views with those of other state and regional produce groups to more effectively influence Capitol Hill on its current attempts aimed at major alterations to our country’s food safety laws. Given the quite low public health risk posed by deciduous tree fruits, whether by way of chemical residues or human pathogens, it seems an inordinate amount of time and treasure is being devoted to issues that heretofore in history have lain quiet on the public mind.  But in our time the public, individually or through their governments, seems to be agitated and demanding of calming answers. ¨ VISITORS   The Produce Industry Leadership Program of the United Fresh Produce Association (Washington, D.C.) plans a visit to the Pacific Northwest in July.  The twelve members of this leadership class and a few officials from United plan to be in the Yakima Valley area July 13-14. The Northwest Horticultural Council will be hosting a dinner for these young fruit and vegetable professionals, who hail from places such as Mission, Texas and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and who work in jobs from production to marketing to transportation. ¨ Travel Mark Powers July 12-16 – U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council’s FY 2010 Attaché Seminar, Washington, D.C. Mike Willett July 26-30 – North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) Fruit Panel Meeting, Ottawa, Canada …and the still sweeter sun is as warm as wine, and coloured like an apricot. To Laurence Housman, December 1898 The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde Northwest Horticultural Council 105 South 18th Street, Suite 105 Yakima, Washington 98901, USA Voice: (509) 453-3193, Fax: (509) 457-7615 E-mail general@nwhort.org