New York Apple Association Names Christopher Oakes as New Chairman of the Board; Doug Grout Comments
NEW YORK - A new Chairman of the Board has taken the helm at the New York Apple Association, overseeing the organization for 2024–2025. Christopher Oakes, President of Medina, New York-based LynOaken Farms, has officially taken over the role.
“It is my pleasure to take the gavel and lead the organization and industry,” said Oakes. “This year, we are expecting our production to be around 32,500 million bushels and maybe upward toward 32,700 million bushels. Sizing is coming along, and we expect a good range of sizes for retailers and foodservice markets like schools.”
LynOaken Farms provides apples for retailers and schools and is also actively involved in the hard cider industry.
Oakes takes on the Chairman role at a critical time, as the New York apple harvest is set to begin in the Hudson Valley in just a few weeks. Harvest is expected to begin around the third week of August, followed by central and western New York and then northeastern New York a couple of weeks later.
As a press release shared, the NYAA Team is actively working on our upcoming fall media and retail promotional plans to help move the crop. NYAA President and CEO Cynthia Haskins shared that this year’s campaign will be an expansion of The Big Flavor theme, which was soft-launched in 2023 with bigger plans for the upcoming fall harvest.
The NYAA board has 15 members, four of which recently joined the team: Kenneth Bowman, Kristen DeMarree, Carrie Wafler, and Kent Schwab.
The organization also honored its previous Chairman, Doug Grout, Owner of Golden Harvest Farms, during its annual meeting, thanking him for his dedication to the industry. Grout served on the NYAA Board of Directors for the last six years and has been the Chairman of the Board for the previous two, the release stated.
“I am honored the NYAA Board of Directors selected me to lead the organization and look forward to staying active in the apple industry,” said Grout.
Representing over 500 commercial apple growers in New York State, the nonprofit trade association has big plans for this New York apple season! For more updates, keep reading ANUK.
