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The Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 will be honored during a LIVE Virtual ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 8, during the virtual Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO. For more on the 40 Under 40 virtual ceremony, visit fruitgrowersnews.com/40under40 and vegetablegrowersnews.com/40under40. A special thank you to our 2020 Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 sponsors. Your support of the next generation is appreciated! THANK YOU Ariana Torres Assistant Professor, Purdue University Margaret Worthington Assistant Professor/Fruit Breeding and Genetics, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Kyle Wafler Orchard Manager, Wafler Farms Inc. Yi Wang Assistant Professor Horticultural Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Horticulture Torres' integrated research and Extension program, horticulture business, supports the economic viability and sustainability of the specialty crops industry. Her program involves: 1) scholarship through innovative applied research; 2) partnership with stakeholders (often farmers) to develop and deliver decision-making tools and education programs for farmers and 3) measuring and evaluating the program impact. Torres' research focuses on the decision-making processes of specialty crop farmers along with customers' perceptions and preferences. Margaret Worthington directs the applied peach and muscadine grape cultivar development programs at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. She works with a wide network of public and private sector collaborators around the world to develop innovative new fruit cultivars. She also leads research on fruit genetics and molecular breeding in blackberries, peaches and muscadines and teaches in the areas of plant breeding and fruit production. Kyle Wafler has been involved in the family apple farm and nursery from a young age. He learned to efficiently grow trees from his father, Paul Wafler. After graduating from Morrisville State College, he traveled to Nelson, New Zealand to work with Richard Hoddy and his family at Vailima Orchards. There he gained valuable knowledge that he's taken back to the farm and uses in his position as orchard manager. Wang is an assistant professor with a research focus on potato and vegetable sustainable production. The goal of her research and Extension program is to conduct science-based applied research, and collaborate with the potato and vegetable growers and processors to improve the resource use efficiency and sustainability of vegetable cropping systems in Wisconsin. Yi got her bachelor's degree in biological science from Nanjing Agricultural University in China, and her doctorate degree in potato physiology from University of Wisconsin. BioWorks ® 12A