New York Apple Association names new board chairman
The New York Apple Association has chosen its new chairman of the board. Read more about the group’s grower leader.
Coene and his wife Lindsey grow apples on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in Ontario, New York, at Windmill Farms LLC. In the fifth-generation family operation, the couple grow tree fruit alongside Thomas’ parents, David and Elizabeth Coene, and his grandparents, Robert and Judith Coene.
The family cultivates 500 acres across Monroe and Wayne counties, growing apples for fresh and processing markets. They also operate an on-farm controlled-atmosphere storage facility.
“I look forward to leading the organization and working side by side with the other board members,” Coene said in a news release.
Kristen DeMarree of DeMarree Fruit Farm in Williamson, New York, has been named vice president. She earned a doctorate in physical therapy from Nazareth University before returning to the family farm, where she is now transitioning to full ownership.
These are NYAA’s newly appointed board members:
- Domenic Porpiglia of Porpiglia Farms, Marlboro, New York
- Jenna Roberts-Bruning, Roberts Farm, Medina, New York
“New York is expecting a robust crop this year, with production projected to exceed 30.5 million bushels,” Coene said in the release. “We’ve had a good mix of rain and warm summer days. Harvest in the Hudson Valley will begin around mid-August, followed by Western and Central New York, and then Northeast New York a few days later. Harvest typically wraps up the first week of November, depending on the weather.”
The New York Apple Association (NYAA) is a nonprofit organization representing more than 500 apple growers across 50,000 acres statewide. New York is the second-largest apple-producing state in the U.S. NYAA supports fresh, processing and direct-to-consumer growers through advertising, promotions, public relations and educational initiatives aimed at strengthening the industry.