LEOMINSTER – Farming and apple growing were largely male-dominated in the region, but more women entering the arena have changed that and paved the way for the Massachusetts Fruit Growers’ Association to name a woman president for the first time.
The Massachusetts Fruit Growers’ Association elected Joanne M. DiNardo of Sholan Farms president at its annual business meeting Dec. 13. Ms. DiNardo is also president of the Friends of Sholan Farms, where she manages staff and volunteers overseeing approximately 20 acres of apple orchard owned by the city of Leominster.
Though women have served on MFGA’s board of directors, this is the first time a woman has headed the association, according to MFGA member Jon Clements, an extension educator at the UMass Cold Spring Orchard in Belchertown with more than 25 years experience in tree fruit production.
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