By René Hardwick, National Onion Association Director of Public and Industry Relations
We’ve found a way to meet in the middle. The National Onion Association (NOA) has rescheduled its annual winter convention for Cheyenne, Wyoming, a historic Western town that is an icon in the United States’ movement west.
We’re hoping its central U.S. location will make it easy for the NOA membership and others in the industry to attend from both sides of the country and every place in between.
On Dec. 6-9, we will meet for our annual convention in place of our originally planned convention in Bermuda. That and our previously planned summer convention in Nashville, Tennessee, have both been pushed to 2021. We will converge on the Little America Hotel and Resort just west of Cheyenne, a central location that should be easier for our membership to reach, regardless of their geography. Please note, this meeting will start on a Sunday and finish on a Wednesday, a scheduling departure from past meetings.
Recognizing that 2020 has turned everyone’s plans upside down because of the coronavirus, we also know that we must sit down and have some conversations about some looming issues important to all of us. This year, that includes foreign trade, Canadian and Mexican onion imports, coronavirus relief, Panamanian restrictions on onions and food safety options.
“We really need to have strong attendance at this meeting,” said NOA President Doug Bulgrin. “Our business and the issues don’t stop because of the virus. The board and members need to meet in person.”
We will not take this meeting lightly along the lines of the continuing pandemic. In public areas, the hotel does require face coverings.
“We can have our annual meeting and meet all the requirements of the state and hotel as far as social distancing and face coverings when needed,” said Greg Yielding, executive vice president and chief executive of the NOA. “We’re taking all the precautions, and we’ll be able to accommodate everyone’s needs within guidelines.”
The agenda has yet to be fully set, but we do plan for our banquet dinner and raffle to be held on Monday, Dec. 7 at the hotel. On Tuesday, we’ll go to the Bunkhouse Bar & Grill, just minutes west of Cheyenne, where members can enjoy some live music and a great dance floor. Wednesday, Dec. 9, we will have our traditional board meeting and crop report breakfast.
The agenda will allow time to explore this historic town, built exclusively as a hub of the Transcontinental Railroad, the first federally sanctioned railroad construction after the Civil War and the opening of the West. It was completed in 1869. Rail enthusiasts will love to see the Big Boy Steam Engine and the Union Pacific Depot, the last of the grand 19th century depots remaining on the Transcontinental Railroad.
There are many other downtown sights, as well as great hiking, cross-country skiing trails and sledding hills in the area. Some members may even want to schedule a hunt.
It’s been such a long year, and our industry has been under some threats amid trade issues, an onion recall and the continuing pandemic. The NOA wants to advocate for all associated with the American onion industry on these important issues in Washington D.C.
If you’re not a member, and you believe in these issues as strongly as we do, you may attend the convention if an existing member sponsors you. Registration ends Nov. 16. To register, visit www.onions-usa.org/members/conventions.
You also can become a member! NOA member fees are much less than other advocacy organizations and associations, and we are singularly focused on onion industry advocacy in Washington D.C. and beyond. Find a brochure online under the Membership tab in the Member Center at www.onions-usa.org.
