Susan Chekow Lusignan recently joined the New York Apple Association as its new CEO, bringing more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership expertise, with a focus on strategic organizational management, operations, marketing and communications, financial oversight and stakeholder engagement.
NYAA says Lusignan will focus on consumer marketing initiatives and partnerships as well as operational leadership to support New York apple growers.
Lusignan sat down with The Packer to discuss what makes New York apples special and her plans for the future of the organization.
The Packer: New York is the second-largest apple-producing state in the nation, with distinct growing regions from Lake Ontario to the Hudson Valley. What is it about New York’s soil, climate and proximity to major markets that gives its apples their unique flavor and texture profile?
Lusignan: New York state’s climate is ideal for growing a variety of apples with unique flavors and texture profiles due to our cold winters and moderate summers, rich soil and adequate water sources.
With major East Coast metropolitan markets right in your backyard, New York growers have a distinct food-mile and freshness advantage over West Coast or international imports. How is NYAA leveraging this proximity to win over retailers and consumers?
New York state’s apple industry offers retailers and consumers many advantages in terms of quality, proximity and year-round availability. The closer the apples are grown to where they are purchased, the better it is for consumers and the environment.
Between rising labor costs, inflation on farm inputs and unpredictable supply chains, apple growers are facing tight margins. From an association perspective, how can NYAA best support growers in navigating these economic headwinds?
From an association perspective, NYAA can best support growers by leveraging our resources to drive consumer demand — generating increased visibility for New York state apples and highlighting their many benefits (such as nutrition, convenience, affordability, varieties/taste and the fact that they come from local farms). NYAA also promotes opportunities for consumers to enjoy apple-related agritourism events throughout the state, from U-pick operations to gatherings at distilleries that feature craft cider from New York apples.
NYAA utilizes marketing approaches across all platforms to increase consumption, from local initiatives to campaigns in major markets that carry apples from New York state. We use traditional and social media, including streaming services, geotargeting ads and digital newsletters; retail promotions, including point-of-sale, cross-merchandising, display contests, BOGO offers, digital coupons and ads, special display units and orchard bins.
In terms of directly addressing tight margins this season, NYAA also joined Sen. Michelle Hinchey, along with growers and agricultural leaders from across the Hudson Valley, to successfully advocate for federal disaster assistance following the April 21 frost.
Late spring frosts, erratic hail and changing weather patterns have made harvest forecasting increasingly complex. How are New York orchards innovating to adapt, and how can NYAA help protect the industry’s long-term sustainability?
New York apple growers continue to face challenges in terms of labor, input costs, weather/climate change, transportation and trade. In response, growers are demonstrating their dedication and resiliency, adapting by researching and collaborating on best practices, emerging technologies, creative solutions to storing/shipping and maximizing labor efficiencies.
Growers are constantly exploring new technologies for crop management and facility operations, such as UV light pest management and agrivoltaics (solar panel arrays), innovative irrigation systems, comprehensive sap analysis, precision grafting approaches, creative composting options and AI [artificial intelligence] tools for tracking/monitoring orchard data.
Researchers in the agricultural space (such as Cornell’s Cooperative Extension programs) help develop state-of-the-art solutions for growers.
Your background highlights a strong focus on expanding consumer marketing. What modern storytelling or digital campaigns do you believe will best resonate with Gen Z and younger families who are looking for locally grown, healthy options?
Digital messaging is key to resonating with Gen Z and young families, and NYAA implements digital storytelling across a range of platforms to connect with consumers and drive demand for New York state apples.
One project we are particularly excited about is our new digital Grower Content Program that recently launched. NYAA selected growers from across three Apple Marketing Order districts and paid them to develop authentic, educational content directly from their farms that highlights the people, practices and stories behind New York’s apple industry. The program provides consumers with a behind-the-scenes look at apple growing while helping to educate audiences about orchard operations, growing practices, apple varieties and the journey from the orchard to the consumer.
We also run digital campaigns each fall and spring on platforms including Meta, TikTok, Google Demand Gen and Connected TV.
