July 20, 2017 | New York State: A fifth-generation farmer, Joel Crist, 29, is the youngest apple grower to date to join Crunch Time’s board of directors. Crist comes to Crunch Time with a passion for the apple industry, knowledge and firsthand experience growing up and working in his family’s business, Crist Bros. Orchards, Inc., based in Walden, NY.
As the apple growing industry continues to evolve, Crist is committed to helping Crunch Time produce high quality fruit for consumers and increase consumption of SnapDragon® and RubyFrost® apples across New York State and the U.S. With a broad range of experience and education, Crist hopes to spark innovation for the organization’s two brands and help Crunch Time expand its profile as a leading supplier of premium apples.
Crist graduated from Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2010, where he specialized in agribusiness and strategy. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Apple Association’s Young Apple Leaders program, which equips the next generation of American apple growers and leaders with an understanding of federal regulatory and legislature issues and provides an opportunity to learn from apple leaders across the country.
Before joining his sister and parents to work in the Hudson Valley at the family business, Crist worked as a business manager for the food marketing company, Daymon Worldwide. Now, back at Crist Bros. Orchards, Crist’s role involves packing, shipping and sales while learning the growing side of the business. Based on his experience in the field, Crist believes growers need to continue creating innovations in varieties, storage and growing practices to deliver an optimal product to consumers. Anticipating fully robotic pruning and harvesting machines in the future, Crist says, “Labor is our number one expense, and if we are going to continue competing in the global market, we must continue to push forward in this area.”
Excited to contribute his talents to Crunch Time’s board, Crist says, “My goal as a board member will be to become an additional asset to the excellent work the board is doing and to assist in helping to set Crunch Time up for long-term success – both organizationally and through the marketing of the growingly popular SnapDragon® and RubyFrost® brands.”
Crist believes that Crunch Time has been able to bring the results of a cutting-edge breeding program to New York State farmers – big and small – in an environment we might have been excluded otherwise if the rights were sold outside the state.
“This principle is huge for us as an industry in New York,” says Crist. “It’s keeping us relevant and on the forefront of major trends. I can’t wait to be part of what’s to come.”