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Jason Smith inaugurated as 2018-2019 Chair- man of the Board Salinas, CA -- The Grow- er-Shipper Association of Central California (GSA) held its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 16 at Cor- ral de Tierra Country Club in Salinas. Jason Smith, the Association's new Chairman of the Board, was inaugu- rated at this event in front of nearly 80 members, dignitaries and guests. Smith has been actively in- volved in the GSA board and the activities of the associa- tion for many years, as his family's business was one of the first wineries to become a member almost 20 years ago. Smith, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Smith Family Wines, is a second-generation wine grape grower and vintner. Alongside his wife Jennifer, who serves as the compa- ny's Creative Director, his sister Kacy, who manages endeavors related to Health and Wellness, and his son Justin, a fellow winemaker, he is focused on who has grown and expanded the family company built by his parents, Richard and Claudia Smith. When not managing his family's business, Jason coaches track at Palma and Notre Dame High Schools in Salinas, his alma mater and that of his children Kelly and Matt, both current stu- dents at UC Davis. He has also been an active leader in Monterey County Farm Bureau, Monterey Coun- ty Vintners and Growers Association, the California Association of Wine Grape Growers and Monterey County Ag Education, Inc. Smith talked about the importance of reflection, member engagement and strategic planning as GSA prepares for the retirement of its President of 20 years, Jim Bogart, in May of 2019. He noted the importance of collaborative industry engagement in local, state and national politics, and the new focus he's placed on thoroughly understanding the issues since the passing of his father Richard Smith in 2015. "There are a lot of chal- lenges that our members face daily, and when it comes to agreeing on a way forward, sometimes that's easy and sometimes it's not." Smith said. "As I've taken on more of a role in the discussion in the past few years, I've realized that listening is essential, and that it's easier said than done. Listening is a skill that has to be developed. Sometimes we can be very good at voicing our opinion, but we need to truly listen to pick up the details that help us understand and solve the problems." The Grower-Shipper As- sociation is an organization representing over 350 mem- bers throughout Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. For more information visit www. growershipper.com. Provided Photo (le to right): Jason Smith, Pat Collins and Jim Bogart Long-time lettuce leader Enza Zaden is entrenching its position in the pack- aged lettuce category with significant investment in EazyLeaf, the brand's one- cut lettuce. Traditionally a foodservice product that enables restaurants to wow diners with premium salads, the EazyLeaf market is ex- panding to include premium grocers, where discerning consumers are delighted by its look, taste, crunch and density. All 16 EazyLeaf varieties are available in convention- al and organic form, with organic distribution through Enza Zaden's organic divi- sion, Vitalis Organic Seed. EazyLeaf offers excellent weight, premium shelf life, and strong yet flexible leaves for superior lo. Growers especially value the product's excellent bolting tolerance, efficient mechan- ical harvesting, easy cutting, and high percentage of product usability. Consum- ers enjoy the visual appeal of uniformly-sized leaf shapes in a variety of colors, now including dark reds with high gloss. "We're highly committed to growth in this category, and we're demonstrating that commitment through investment in diverse leaf types and colors, and the most comprehensive resis- tance packages available, including full mildew resis- tance and aphid resistance," said Jaime Eltit, Sales Representative, Direct Team West, Enza Zaden. Enza Zaden also differen- tiates itself through strong partnerships with custom- ers. "To add value for our growers, we leverage our knowledgeable local sales team, our local production facility, and our interna- tional infrastructure," said Nick Barnes, Direct Sales Manager, Enza Zaden.Eazy- Leaf seed is processed and distributed through Enza Zaden's 43,000 sq Sali- nas Valley facility. Superior seed production and distinct care taken throughout grading, priming and coating ensures a consistently fresh and available local inven- tory. Enza Zaden breeding stations in northwest France are responsible for the de- velopment of new EazyLeaf varieties. Close working relationships between sales and the breeders enables the global company to rapidly commercialize new variet- ies to meet unique grower needs. More than 100 EazyLeaf varieties are currently in development. Watch for new varieties to be released annually. Enza Zaden is a global leader in vegetable seed breeding, with operations in 21 countries around the world. In the U.S., the company offers top breeding programs in more than 30 vegetables. The onion port- folio currently features 14 superior varieties, leveraging research from breeding sta- tions in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Italy. Enza Zaden is redefining top-shelf salad with robust EazyLeaf pipeline Sakata Seed America Pledges Support of the Seed Your Future Movement Sakata Seed America is delighted to pledge a con- tribution of $50,000 over the next two years to the Seed Your Future organiza- tion through the company's Corporate Giving program. Sakata joins a coalition of more than 150 partners to support the Seed Your Future non-profit, including horticulture companies, gardening organizations, nonprofit organizations and universities, as a Roots of the Future level supporter. "The Seed Your Fu- ture cause is an exciting movement for the future of the horticulture indus- try in creating a favorable perception of viable and diverse horticulture careers available. With a large portion of horticulture's jobs unfilled, inspiring and raising awareness with youth, par- ents and teachers to green collar career opportunities will help feed our indus- try's future," states Jamie Kitz, Key Account Manager for Sakata and Seed Your Future Advisory Council Member. In addition to a monetary pledge, Sakata has contrib- uted to Seed Your Future's first initiative, BLOOM!, via seed donations from the company's vegetable and ornamental sectors. The BLOOM! initiative allows schools to easily integrate plants into their curriculum through books, activities and other learning materials focused around horticulture. Susan Yoder, Executive Director of Seed Your Future is excited to have Sakata on board. "We are honored to have Sakata expand their already generous support of the Seed Your Future movement. Not only are they putting their philanthropic dollars behind this critical issue, they also volunteer their time and donate their products to promote hor- ticulture and inspire more people to pursue green collar careers." Sakata supports the move- ment in an array of other outlets, such as education via the company's social media reach, tradeshow booth and display support at events such as California Spring Trials and Cultivate and Sakata personnel sup- port; Sakata team members serve on both the Advisory Council for the program, as well as the Research Development and Marketing Committee. MANN PACKING ANNOUNCES NEW HIRES Mann Packing Company ("Mann's") announced the hiring of Lawrence Henrard, Bob Licker and Jeff Hutterer to the positions of vice pres- ident - operations, regional sales manager, and regional business manager, respec- tively. Senior operations executive Lawrence Henrard brings over 15 years of expertise to his new role as vice president - operations. Industry sales veteran Bob Licker has joined Mann's as regional sales manag- er - foodservice. Licker is bringing more than 41 years of expertise to the role. Jeff Hutterer, another in- dustry veteran, has rejoined Mann's as regional business manager for the central territory. Hutterer, who pre- viously worked for the com- pany from 2008-2011 as a national account manager, is bringing more than 20 years of expertise to the role.

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