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NWA Announces New President at Annual Convention
Brent Jackson, President and owner of Jackson's Farming Co., Autryville, N.C., accepted the gavel from former President Jody Land, President of Raymon J. Land Watermelon Sales, Branford, on February 27th at the National Watermelon Association's national convention held in Orlando, Florida.
Jackson Farming Company, founded in 1981, is a family-owned and operated business, located near Fayetteville, NC. They grow, pack, ship, and broker fresh fruits and vegetables year round.
Jackson said the current membership of the association is 703, made up of growers, sales agencies, brokers, and numerous affiliate industries such as seed, box and bin packaging, transportation, and more. He emphasized the need for a steady increase during his two-year tenure. "Our membership is up 17 from last year, but we need more," Jackson said. "I'm challenging each regional and state chapter to increase their membership by 10 in the next year." Jackson said the association needs to increase its membership to about 2,000 in order to have a stronger voice in Washington, D.C.
The NWA has made agricultural research its top priority and hopes to become strong enough in the nation's capitol to obtain the necessary funding to achieve its goals. Topping the list is $1.18 million for disease research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agriculture Research Service's South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory in Lane, Okla.
The association also hopes to promote itself more through its queen program, 
using the national and regional association winners as spokeswomen for the watermelon industry. Funding for the queen program and the remainder of the NWA budget comes through the group's annual auction of watermelon loads and other watermelon-related items at the convention. This year the event raised a net of $312,000 mainly on 54 donated loads of watermelons that were auctioned. "It was the second-best auction we've ever had, said Arnold Mack, owner of McMelon Inc., Lake Wales, Florida, and chairman of the association's auction committee.
The National Watermelon Association has been in existence since 1914, and has their corporate offices in Plant City, Florida. The purpose of the Association is to promote the best interests of the Watermelon Industry from production to consumption by constantly seeking improvements in the growing, grading, handling, transportation, distribution and sale of watermelon.
PRESS RELEASE
United States Department of Agriculture
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2005 -- Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced the appointment of six producer members, six handler members and two importer members to serve on the National Watermelon Promotion Board.
"I am pleased that these individuals have agreed to serve on the Ntional Watermelon Promotion Board," said Johanns.
Four producer and six handler members have been reappointed for a second term, and two new producer members have been appointed to serve on the board. Their three-year terms of office begin immediately and end Dec. 31, 2007.
Reappointed producer members are: District 4 - Dennis Mouzin of Vincennes, Ind.; District 5 - William J. Grasmick of Lamar, Colo., and Ryan Van Groningen of Manteca, Calif.; and District 7 - Arthur Saikhon Jr. of El Centro, Calif.
Reappointed handler members are: District 4 - Kolby Lawrence Frey of Decker, Ind., and William Brent Jackson of Autryville, N.C.; District 5 - Wayde Kirschenman of Edison, Calif., and Arthur E. Perry of Manteca, Calif.; and District 7 - Brent Allan Harrison of Nogales, Ariz., and James R. Auchard of Coachella, Calif.
Newly appointed produce members are: District 4 - Charles Nowaske of Vincennes, Ind.; and District 7 - George F. Cordero of Hemet, Calif.
Also, two importer members have been appointed to serve on the board for terms beginning immediately and ending Dec. 31, 2005. The newly appointed importer members are: Alan Guzi of Pompano Beach, Fla.; and Matthew J. Bradley III of Edinburg, Texas.
The board administers the Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan under the supervision of the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. Under the plan, which became effective in 1989, the board conducts a coordinated program of promotion, research and consumer and industry information in order to maintain and expand the market for watermelons. More information is at http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/rpb.html.