The Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 Awards honor 40 outstanding individuals making their marks in the industry.

These 40 young professionals represent the best in the industry. The Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 Class of 2023 will be honored at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO, and recognized in the October 2023 issues of Fruit Growers News and Vegetable Growers News.

Thank you to the sponsors who support the 40 Under 40 recognition program: AgBiome Innovations, Miller Chemical, Stokes Seeds and Huma.


Class of 2020

Aaron Libby
Libby & Son U-Picks

Amy Metrick
Metrick's Harvest View Farm & Market/Penn State Extension

Andrea Kirchoff
Tim Campbell Farm

Ariana Torres
Purdue University

Ben Smith
Michigan State Horticultural Society

Benjamin Keim
Keim Orchards

Benjamin Sklarczyk
Sklarczyk Seed Farm LLC

Brett Blaauw
University of Georgia

Charles Hamilton
Grow West, Inc. & Pressley Ranches, LLC.

Cory Blumerick
GreenStone Farm Credit Service

Creela Hamlin
Lake Michigan Berry, LLC

Dario Chavez
University of Georgia

Darren Sinn
Berry Fresh LLC

Donald Seifrit
Pennsylvania State University Extension

Drew Afton
Nestle/Gerber

Emily Pochubay
Michigan State University Extension

Felipe Pacheco
Georgia Department of Labor

Hannah Burrack
North Carolina State University

John Price
Archlynn Farm

Jordan Rasch
Green Tree Orchards LLC

Josh Pagura
Pagura Farms LLC and Slocum Farms LLC

Justin Morgan
Morgan Composting

Kari Molter
Molter Produce

Kevin Bittner
Bittner Singer Orchards

Kyle Wafler
Wafler Farms, Inc

Laurie Swanson
Great Lakes Ag Labor Services, LLC

Margaret Worthington
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

Melissa Morlock
MM Farms LLC

Nathan Bender
Tasteful Selections, LLC

Nicholas Tipper
Application Insight

Nick Oomen
Oomen Brothers, Inc.

Rob Glover
Rob Glover Farming, LLC

Sarah Reel
Double R Farm

Shannon Higginbotham
Cheyenne’s Road Market & Farm

Steve Rachut
Steve's Sweet Corn and Century Growers

Susan Colucci
HM Clause, Inc./Harris Moran Seed Company

Trevor Hardy
Brookdale Fruit Farm

Wenjing Guan
Purdue University

Yi Wang
University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Horticulture

Zack Hayden
Michigan State University Department of Horticulture

Current Issue

FGN March 2024

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Pest update: Efforts continue to control SWD, SLF

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