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Keynote Address
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Brian Nicholson is 2009 Keynote Speaker
Brian Nicholson, Vice President of Marketing and Sales of Red Jacket Orchards, will be the keynote speaker for this year's Convention. He will relate how his family's business has taken advantage of the today's consumer interest in locally grown produce. He will also make another presentation in the afternoon marketing session.
Nicholson returned to upstate New York in 2000 to head up marketing and sales for the family business, Red Jacket Orchards (RJO). He has recently added chief of operations to the responsibilities, and now oversees all aspects of the family business's strategic and financial planning as well.
A highly integrated agribusiness located in Geneva, Red Jacket grows, packs, ships, retails, mail orders and juices fresh fruits. The 600-acre orchard specializes primarily in apples, as well as, specialty tree fruits (apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines and more). Red Jacket also has been producing outstanding apple cider and premium blended fruit juices for years.
In addition to operating a year round retail store in Geneva, the orchard operates retail farmers markets in New York City. In 1996, while residing in Hoboken, New Jersey, Brian developed a new business unit for the orchard, a wholesale store-door delivery business. Today RJO's wholesale division delivers RJO products and locally grown produce daily to over 100 of NY's finest gourmet stores including Whole foods, Fresh Direct, Citarella, Fairway Market, Food Emporium, D'Agostino's, Dean Delucca, Stew Leonard's and more.
Prior to returning upstate, Brian spent over six years in the metro New York region, most recently as Account Supervisor for New York City advertising agency Jordan, McGrath, Case Partners. At JMCP, Brian assisted in managing all aspects of Procter Gamble's Bounty paper towel brand. This included overseeing client services, strategic planning, creative production and media planning.
Brian is a 1994 graduate of Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He sits on the board of directors for Geneva Chamber of Commerce, A Finger Lakes Visitor Connection (Ontario County Tourism) and Premier Apple Cooperative. He also actively serves as an advisor to Pride of NY and Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station.
As a third generation grower, he and his siblings are committed to a sustainable future for the farm, their community and family. He and his wife, Kirstin, currently reside in Canandaigua, NY with their three children (Colin Emily Anna).
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 The Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention has become the premier grower meeting in the Northeast combining three days of six or more concurrent educational sessions with a large industry trade show and numerous networking opportunities - all designed to enable fruit, vegetable and berry growers as well as direct marketers to stay on the cutting edge of their industries. About 1,800 persons from throughout the mid-Atlantic region and beyond will be gathering at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. Registration is open to all interested commercial fruit, vegetable and berry growers, direct marketers and allied industry personnel.
 The third annual Mid-Atlantic Cider Contest will be conducted during the Convention to determine the best cider in the region.
For general information on the Convention program, contact William Troxell, Publicity Coordinator at 717-694-3596 or pvga@pvga.org
For information on exhibiting at the Convention, contact Maureen Irvin, Convention Coordinator at 717-677-4184 or shap@embarqmail.com
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