Gebbers named Apple Citizen of the Year
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 4 months AGO
Cass Gebbers, center, with wife Alycia, right, is presented the Apple Citizen of the Year award by Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival Administrator Darci Christoferson.
COURTESY PHOTO/WENATCHEE APPLE BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | April 24, 2025 1:00 AM
WENATCHEE — Brewster orchardist Cass Gebbers has been named 2025 Apple Citizen of the Year, according to an announcement from the Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival.
Gebbers, a fifth-generation grower, will be honored at the festival, according to the announcement, first at the All-Service Club and Community Luncheon on May 1 and then in the Stemilt Grand Parade May 3.
“Cass Gebbers has dedicated his career to advancing the fruit industry,” festival staff wrote in the announcement. “Under his leadership, Gebbers Farms has grown into a 13,500-acre operation, producing apples, cherries, and pears, with 30% of its fruit exported to over 40 countries. Cass is also a passionate advocate for increasing apple consumption nationwide, collaborating with retailers and health organizations to promote healthier eating under the Joyfully Grown™ label.”
The Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival has named a Citizen of the Year since 1981, according to the association’s website. The purpose is to honor:
• An individual who participates regularly in the industry’s organizations and serves on committees for the improvement and advancement of the industry.
• An individual who shows leadership in the enhancement of business practices throughout the industry.
• An individual who is recognized not only throughout the industry, but throughout the community for ongoing participation in activities important to the people of North Central Washington.
• An individual whose personal example throughout the industry, is recognized and followed by others.
• An individual whose inspiring leadership encourages others to learn and grow while supporting their volunteer participation throughout the industry and in the community.
Gebbers Farms grows a number of apple varieties and is the largest provider of cherries in the world, according to its website. It employs 1,000-1,200 employees during the off-season and 4,500 during the harvest.
Besides growing apples, Gebbers also operates Gebbers Cattle, a fourth-generation beef ranch raising Angus beef, according to the announcement.
“His dedication to education and community investment is evident through scholarships offered in partnership with the Washington Apple Education Foundation and the Colville Tribes Ceilia Someday Foundation, supporting students pursuing careers in conservation, orchard operations, nursing, and technical trades,” the Apple Blossom Festival wrote in the announcement.
Gebbers and his wife Alycia have been married for 39 years and are the parents of four children and 13 grandchildren, according to the announcement. Many of their children, nieces, and nephews actively contribute to the success of Gebbers Farms, continuing the family legacy, the announcement said.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
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Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
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Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.