ACA ROADSHOW — PHASE II

October 13th, 2015

Is your company prepared for the employer mandates that become effective in 2016 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)? If not, you need to act fast in order to avoid IRS penalties. Don’t understand what’s expected? Western Growers can help.

In response to our successful road show events held recently in Modesto and Bakersfield, we have decided to once again take our Affordable Care Act expertise ‘on the road.’ Join us in Imperial, Fresno, Visalia, Salinas or Santa Maria in the coming weeks as we help guide you through the tangled web of ACA regulations you need to know about for next year.  Enjoy a complimentary breakfast or lunch while you hear from ACA expert and Western Growers Assurance Trust (WGAT) general counsel, Jon Alexander, and from the local Western Growers Insurance Services team about important Affordable Care Act updates.

Our team will break down what you need to know about the employer mandates that will affect your business in 2016. We will cover IRS reporting requirements and notable deadlines and also familiarize you with the ACA Dashboard — a Pinnacle Claims Management-developed reporting tool — that can do a lot of the complicated work for you. 

Check out the list of upcoming Road Shows below for an event near you!

Tuesday, October 20
8:00 – 10:00am
Farm Credit Southwest Ag Center
485 Business Pkwy
Imperial, CA  92251

Friday, October 23
8:00 – 10:00am
Ramada Hotel Fresno North
324 East Shaw
Fresno, CA  93710

Friday, October 23
12:00 – 2:00pm
Wyndham Visalia
9000 W Airport Dr.
Visalia, CA  93277

Tuesday, October 27
7:30 – 9:30am
The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch
475 San Juan Grade Rd.
Salinas, CA  93906

Wednesday, October 28
7:30 – 9:30am
Radisson Hotel
3455 Skyway Drive
Santa Maria, CA  93455

Space is limited so please RSVP at www.wgis.com/aca-meetings  or contact Elizabeth Angel at (949) 885-2326 with questions or to reserve your seat.

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Food Waste and Innovation – Tell WG Your Story

October 13th, 2015

The upcoming October issue of the WG&S magazine includes an article on sustainable agriculture that features two WG members — The Nunes Company and Church Brothers — and what each is doing to sell edible fresh produce items that were previously discarded or not harvested. Their innovative approaches to reducing food waste are stories worth telling, especially since they have the added benefit of being eco-friendly. 

Although we regularly inform legislators, regulators and the general public about our members’ efforts to be more sustainable, Western Growers is taking an active interest in the topic of food waste. We want to tell more stories like these to showcase our member’s food waste initiatives and how those efforts are reducing the use of natural resources.     

Does your company have a food waste initiative you would like to share with us so we can feature it in a future article? If so, we would love to hear about it. Please contact Cory Lunde at (949) 885-2264 or Jeff Janas at (949) 885-2318 to pass it along!      

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Arizona Minimum Wage to Remain at $8.05 for 2016

October 27th, 2015

Arizona employers can expect the minimum wage for 2016 to remain at $8.05, the same rate as it was in 2015. The state Industrial Commission issued a release indicating that federal cost of living indexes used to determine wage increases did not warrant an increase in the minimum wage this year. Arizona’s minimum wage rate, however, remains higher that the federal minimum wage rate of $7.25 an hour. 

In 2006, Arizona voters passed an initiative that tied wage increases to federal cost of living adjustments. This is the first time since the initiative went into effect that the Industrial Commission of Arizona did not increase the minimum wage.

For additional information on the 2006 initiative, Arizona’s minimum wage, and employer’s obligations you can visit the Industrial Commission’s website at www.azica.gov.

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90th Annual Meeting – Thank You to Our Sponsors!

October 13th, 2015

With the 90th Annual Meeting right around the corner, Western Growers wants to thank all of our sponsors for this year’s event. From our Platinum to our Supplier Sponsors, we appreciate your generous support! Without you, this fun and informative networking event could not take place! We would especially like to thank our Platinum and Gold Sponsors (see list below)!

We also would like to encourage our members to consider using our sponsors’ professional business products and services as an additional way of saying thank you for their support of our organization and industry.

Platinum Sponsors

Anthem Blue Cross

Bank of America/Merrill Lynch

Bayer Crop Science

C.H. Robinson

Crop Production Services

Dow AgroSciences

Farm Credit

Monsanto

Pinnacle Claims Management, Inc.

Rabobank

Syngenta

Wells Fargo

Western Growers Insurance Services

Gold Sponsors

CHEP International

John Deere

RDO Equipment Company

RDO Water

Rynn and Janowsky LLP

Toro Micro-Irrigation

Sponsorship opportunities are still available! 

For a list of all of the 90th Annual Meeting sponsors, CLICK HERE

For a list of sponsors by event, CLICK HERE

For more information on the Annual Meeting or to become a sponsor, contact Randy Hause at (949) 885-2265)

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This Thursday’s Lunch and Learn Webinar to Address BioFuel Issues in Ag Production

October 27th, 2015

Join Western Growers on Thursday, October 29, for this month’s Lunch and Learn Webinar to hear about the current state of biofuel production and related challenges and opportunities for agricultural operations. Dr. Stephen Kaffka, Director of the California Biomass Collaborative, will provide an overview of the current science and efforts related to biofuel production in the fresh produce industry. Dr. Kaffka will also take any questions you might have, so don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to get up to speed on the potential benefits of biofuels.    

Webinar Details

What the Produce Industry Needs to Know about Biofuel Production

Thursday, October 29th

11:30 a.m. PDT

REGISTER NOW!  

Speaker Details

Dr. Stephen Kaffka, University of California, Davis

For more information, contact Sonia Salas at (949) 885-2251.

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Lunch and Learn Webinar — What the Produce Industry Needs to Know about Biofuel Production

October 13th, 2015

Join Western Growers on Thursday, October 29, for this month’s Lunch and Learn Webinar to hear about the current state of biofuel production and related challenges and opportunities for agricultural operations. Dr. Stephen Kaffka, Director of the California Biomass Collaborative, will provide an overview of the current science and efforts related to biofuel production in the fresh produce industry. Dr. Kaffka will also take any questions you might have, so don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to get up to speed on the potential benefits of biofuels.    

Webinar Details

What the Produce Industry Needs to Know about Biofuel Production

Thursday, October 29th

11:30 a.m. PDT

REGISTER NOW!  

Speaker Details

Dr. Stephen Kaffka, University of California, Davis

For more information, contact Sonia Salas at (949) 885-2251.

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Six Things You Can Do to Be Cited by OSHA

October 27th, 2015

Every business works hard to avoid injuries and serious accidents. Accidents not only harm employees, but also negatively impact the business. In addition to suffering lost time and income from a productive employee, a business might be subject to an OSHA inspection and possible fines if it is determined that they were not following proper safety practices and procedures. Even though OSHA visits place additional financial and time constraints on businesses, sometimes they are required, as in the case with a serious injury or fatality. OSHA’s job is to make sure the business operations are structured to avoid recurrences of the same accident. In many situations, however, OSHA visits can be avoided if the company follows proper procedures in reporting the accidents and injuries. According to the head of Cal/OSHA’s heat illness unit, here are six things that will “attract” an OSHA visit:

  1. Not responding to OSHA letters, complaints or phone calls. It may take a while, but OSHA will take the lack of response as an invitation to set up an inspection.
  2. Not reporting a serious injury or fatality, or reporting it late. That’s an automatic penalty of $5,000 and tells OSHA you probably have other problems as well.
  3. Not complying with a document request. Another “red flag” that tells OSHA you either have something to hide, or you don’t have a required document.
  4. Being unaware of an Injury Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) requirement. The IIPP has been required by law for over 20 years. All employees are required to be aware of it. Lack of knowledge by employees or your management staff is a sure fire way to attract more scrutiny from OSHA.
  5. Providing a generic IIPP. If you don’t have an IIPP and provide a version you printed off the internet, don’t be surprised if you get fined, especially if it doesn’t have your company name on it.
  6. Ignoring OSHA regulations for your industry. OSHA will look for safety violations that are particular to your industry. In agriculture, the heat illness program needs to be in place, employees need to be trained and copies of required documents need to be in field locations. Also, water and shade violations are easy targets for fines.

Western Growers Insurance Services has fully trained safety and claims staff who are familiar with OSHA requirements. If you would like assistance with your safety training or programs, contact Greg Nelson for further assistance at (949) 885-2287.

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WG Member Honored by White House for Being a Champion of Change

October 27th, 2015

Yesterday, twelve individuals were honored as “White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture.” Jesus (Jesse) Rodriguez, farm manager at Sano Farms, was one of those recognized during the ceremony.  Sano Farms is a Western Growers member that operates out of Firebaugh, California.

The White House Champions’ of Change Program honors farmers, ranchers, land managers, agricultural educators, crop advisors, and other leaders who are taking steps to improve the sustainability of their operations, and educating others to do the same.

Western Growers would like to congratulate Jesus and Sano Farms on this outstanding recognition.

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Catch Stuart Varney in Action at PAC Lunch

October 19th, 2015

Fox Business Network anchor Stuart Varney is bringing his views on America’s economy to Western Growers’ 90th Annual Meeting. Varney will headline this year’s PAC Lunch on Monday, November 9 which promises to be an entertaining and informative luncheon.

Never seen Varney in action?  Check out this recent video clip:

[VIDEO::https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpvh3o4yXkk::aVideoStyle]

The charismatic host of Varney & Co. has a prediction for the future which relies heavily on Republicans taking over the White House in 2016. “I think we are about to see four to five percent growth on an annual basis,” he told WG&S magazine in August.  “We are going to see a change in policy as the Obama (economic) model is cast aside and a more Reaganite philosophy is adopted with smaller government and lower tax rates.”

Varney believes that if a Republican wins the presidency, the stock market will rally in anticipation of changes to tax policy.  Specifically, he expects the elimination or significant reduction of taxes on foreign profits by American corporations will drive economic growth.  With American companies holding billions of dollars in profits overseas, Varney believes lowering or eliminating the tax rates will spark a wave of reinvestment here.

Varney has over 35 years of experience as a journalist, economist and popular news anchor with expertise in the global and national economy. He has an impressive resume featuring extensive financial knowledge and unmatched market exposure and his contributions have helped shape today’s economic news environment. As an authority on economic issues, national and global news, Varney’s extensive and sophisticated expertise adds a unique depth of perspective, providing audiences with an exceptionally enlightening and engaging experience.

Whether you agree with Stuart Varney’s opinions or not, he is sure to provoke a lively discussion about America’s economy and the future of agriculture. Don’t miss out on the PAC Lunch and purchase a ticket or two! For a limited time, purchase two or more tickets and get 25% off!

If you haven’t signed up for the Annual Meeting, register online and be sure to take advantage of the discount for the PAC Lunch with Stuart Varney!

If you’ve already registered and would like to purchase PAC Lunch tickets you can buy them online or contact Scott Finn at 949-885-2268.

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State Agencies Begin Groundwater Management Meetings This Week

October 20th, 2015

The State Water Resources Control Board and the Department of Water Resources released information about a series of informational meetings they will hold to discuss the implementation of Suitable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and to answer questions from the public. The first two meetings start tomorrow, October 21 in the Los Angeles area.

Two meetings will be held on each (with the exception of the Redding meeting). Afternoon sessions are designed for local public agencies and organizations, and evening sessions are designed for groundwater users and the general public. Agendas are available in English and Spanish  

  • Oct 21, in Los Angeles Area, at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
  • Oct 22, in Visalia, at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
  • Oct 27, in Sacramento and via webcast, at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
  • Nov 5, in Redding, at 1:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Katheryn Landau, State Water Resources Control Board at (916) 341-5588.

Additional Links

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Thursday November 5 — WGAT ACA Webinar

October 29th, 2015

If you missed the Affordable Care Act Road Show events we held in Modesto, Bakersfield, Imperial, Fresno, Visalia, Salinas and Santa Maria, here’s your chance to get the information you missed! Western Growers Assurance Trust (WGAT) is hosting a webinar on Thursday, November 5, to cover upcoming Affordable Care Act requirements. Resident ACA expert and WGAT general counsel, Jon Alexander, will guide you through the tangled web of ACA regulations and mandates you need to know about for 2016.

We will break down what you need to know about the employer mandates that will affect your business in 2016. We will cover IRS reporting requirements and notable deadlines and also familiarize you with the ACA Dashboard — a Pinnacle Claims Management-developed reporting tool that can do a lot of the complicated work for you. 

If you missed the ACA Road Show Events, don’t miss this webinar!

Webinar Details
Affordable Care Act Compliance & Reporting
Thursday, November 5
10:00 -11:00 AM PST

REGISTER TODAY

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90th Annual Meeting – Play Golf and Have a Chance to Win $50,000

October 19th, 2015

The 90th Annual Meeting will undoubtedly send attendees home feeling enriched from their networking and information gathering experience. But if you are registered for and playing in the Western Growers 2015 Annual Golf Tournament, sponsored by Rabobank, one lucky person may go home feeling enriched in a completely different way. Not only is golfing on the only Tom Fazio designed course in Southern California the perfect way to wrap up the Annual Meeting, but the tournament also provides registered players with the opportunity to win a wad of cash in the $50,000 Hole-in-One Challenge.  

The golf tournament features a four–person scramble format with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. Registration fees include breakfast, lunch, complimentary beverage cart, use of the practice and range facilities and tee/tournament prizes. Your breakfast, BBQ lunch and complimentary beverage cart service is being sponsored by RDO Equipment and Water (Annual Meeting Gold Sponsor) .

The $50,000 Hole-in-One Challenge will be played on the 156-yard (111-yard Red tee) Par-3 ninth hole. The Challenge is being sponsored by Western Growers Insurance Services. In addition to the $50,000 Hole-In-One Challenge, prizes will be awarded to the longest drives for players in the A, B, C and D categories.

The best part — it’s easy to participate. The Annual Meeting registration page includes a section to sign-up for the golf tournament. Complete and submit the form, which can include golf club rentals (if needed) and once you do, you’ll be one step closer to winning $50 grand!

Western Growers would like to again thank Annual Meeting Platinum Sponsor Rabobank for sponsoring the golf tournament, RDO Equipment and Water (Annual Meeting Gold Sponsor) for sponsoring breakfast, lunch and the complimentary beverage cart and Western Growers Insurance Services for sponsoring the $50,000 Hole-in-One Challenge.

Please contact Randy Hause at 949-885-2265 if you have any questions about the golf tournament or the Annual Meeting.

REGISTER NOW

EVENT DETAILS

Where: The Grand Golf Club at Fairmont Grand Del Mar (The golf course is located on-site at the Grand Mar Hotel)

5200 Grand Del Mar Way
San Diego, CA 92130
(858) 314-1930
http://www.fairmont.com/san-diego/golf/

When: Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Time: Breakfast and registration 7:00 a.m.
          8:30 a.m.: Shotgun Start
          12:30 p.m.: Lunch (approximately)

Format: Four-person Scramble; Shotgun start

Tournament Fee: $195.00 and includes: breakfast; BBQ lunch  unlimited use of practice facilities, including range balls; complimentary beverage cart, tournament and tee prizes.

Club rentals: $85.00

Sponsors:

Rabobank — 2015 Golf Tournament Sponsor and 2015 Annual Meeting Platinum Sponsor

RDO Equipment and Water — Sponsor of breakfast, on-course beverages and a BBQ lunch at the conclusion of the tournament and Annual Meeting Gold Sponsor

Western Growers Insurance Services — $50,000 Hole-in-One Challenge

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Quaker City Produce to Close Tomorrow – Know your PACA Rights and Remedies

October 29th, 2015

Quaker City Produce, a wholesaler located in Philadelphia that originally opened in 1940, is set to close its doors tomorrow, Friday, October 30.  The closing comes on the heels of the death of the company’s patriarch Jimmy Storey on October 13.

If you are currently owed money from Quaker City and have questions about your PACA rights and remedies, please contact Tom Oliveri, director of WGs’ Trade Practices & Commodity Services Department at (949) 885-2269.

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ACA Roadshow Rolls On – Catch an Event Near You

October 20th, 2015

Is your company prepared for the employer mandates that become effective in 2016 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)? If not, you need to act fast in order to avoid IRS penalties. Don’t understand what’s expected? Western Growers can help.

In response to our successful road show events held recently in Modesto and Bakersfield, we have decided to once again take our Affordable Care Act expertise ‘on the road.’ Join us in Imperial, Fresno, Visalia, Salinas or Santa Maria in the coming weeks as we help guide you through the tangled web of ACA regulations you need to know about for next year.  Enjoy a complimentary breakfast or lunch while you hear from ACA expert and Western Growers Assurance Trust (WGAT) general counsel, Jon Alexander, and from the local Western Growers Insurance Services team about important Affordable Care Act updates.

Our team will break down what you need to know about the employer mandates that will affect your business in 2016. We will cover IRS reporting requirements and notable deadlines and also familiarize you with the ACA Dashboard — a Pinnacle Claims Management-developed reporting tool — that can do a lot of the complicated work for you. 

Check out the list of upcoming Road Shows below for an event near you!

Friday, October 23
8:00 – 10:00am
Ramada Hotel Fresno North
324 East Shaw
Fresno, CA  93710

Friday, October 23
12:00 – 2:00pm
Fugazzis Restaurant
127 W Main St
Visalia, CA  93291

Tuesday, October 27
7:30 – 9:30am
The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch
475 San Juan Grade Rd.
Salinas, CA  93906

Wednesday, October 28
7:30 – 9:30am
Radisson Hotel
3455 Skyway Drive
Santa Maria, CA  93455

Space is limited so please RSVP at www.wgis.com/aca-meetings  or contact Elizabeth Angel at (949) 885-2326 with questions or to reserve your seat.

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Western Growers Welcomes 40 New Members

October 29th, 2015

We would like to recognize and thank the companies who became part of the Western Growers family. Your support is appreciated. We look forward to working with you and your employees through 2015 and beyond.

REGULAR

Harvest Sensations LLC

Irigoyen Farms Inc

Never Bend LLC

NON-FRESH REGULAR

California Heritage Mills Inc

Joe Muller & Sons

Galen Olesh Farms LLC

Materra Farming Company

Priority Pollination LLC

T & P Farms

West Family Farms Inc

ASSOCIATE

Alta Energy Inc

Blue River Technology

Bunzl Agriculture

California Association of Food Banks

Central Coast Packing

Clauss Dairy Farms

CSC of Salinas

Duggins Construction Inc

Garza Contracting Inc

Healthstat Inc

ICMCI Fertilizer LLC

Jersey Feed

Kautz Ironstone Vineyards Inc

La Vina Packing Inc

Lotpath Inc

Marrone Bio Innovations Inc

Nelson Farming & Consulting Services LLC

North American Pipe Corporation

Pacific Material Handling Solutions

Rynsburger Dairy

Salinas Pump Company

Sellers Petroleum

Small Progress Company

Specright

Sunrise Farming Inc

Sunwest Jersey Dairy

Wesley A Milliband Stoel Rives LLP

Yosemite Jersey Dairy

NATIONAL

B & W Quality Growers LLC

Jordan Energy

For more information about becoming or a member, contact Rob Steinmann at (949) 885-2266.

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Expert to Discuss Biofuel Production Opportunities for the Produce Industry during Webinar

October 22nd, 2015

Join Western Growers on Thursday, October 29, for this month’s Lunch and Learn Webinar to hear about the current state of biofuel production and related challenges and opportunities for agricultural operations. Dr. Stephen Kaffka, Director of the California Biomass Collaborative, will provide an overview of the current science and efforts related to biofuel production in the fresh produce industry. Dr. Kaffka will also take any questions you might have, so don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to get up to speed on the potential benefits of biofuels.    

Webinar Details

What the Produce Industry Needs to Know about Biofuel Production

Thursday, October 29th

11:30 a.m. PDT

REGISTER NOW!  

Speaker Details

Dr. Stephen Kaffka, University of California, Davis

For more information, contact Sonia Salas at (949) 885-2251.

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Piece-rate Compensation Law & Compliance Webinar Now Available Online

October 29th, 2015

Western Growers members can now log in and view the presentation and slides from the Piece-rate Compensation Law & Compliance webinar that was held on October 20, 2015. The webinar was conducted by WG Vice President and General Counsel Jason Resnick and was held exclusively for WG members to help clarify what the new piece-rate law (AB 1513) means for employers. Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 1513 on October 10, 2015. 

Specifically, the webinar addressed how this law will apply to your workplace and what to do to prepare to 1) potentially take advantage of the safe harbor, and 2) understand how to properly compensate for rest and recovery periods and non-productive time beginning January 1, 2016.

You must login with your member credentials to access the materials. If you are not a Western Growers member, join today for access to webinar materials and many more member benefits. If your company is a Western Growers member and you are unable to access the webinar slides and video, please contact [email protected].

Please note:  Due to technical difficulties the recording begins shortly after Resnick’s introduction. 

For more information contact Jason Resnick at (949) 885-2253. 

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EEO-1 Report Due October 30

October 22nd, 2015

Western Growers’ members are reminded that the deadline to file this year’s EEO-1 Report is due October 30, 2015. Normally, the report is due each September 30, but was extended this year due to new filing requirements.  

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has also updated its FAQ and Fact Sheet. Members that are required to file should endeavor to file their reports as soon as possible, since the changes to the reporting requirements are likely to take more time than usual to sort through.

For more information, contact Jason Resnick at (949) 885-2253. 

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90th Annual Meeting – Diverse Panel to Discuss GMO Labeling Issues

October 22nd, 2015

If you haven’t already heard, GMOs are causing quite a stir. One issue in particular — labeling — has the potential to affect the fresh produce industry. Mandatory labeling efforts have sprung up in many states and the issue is being debated in the halls of Congress. Both consumers and retailers are focused on and are interested in the topic. What better time for a workshop that addresses this touchy issue?   

The GMO workshop at the 90th Annual Meeting will feature three panelists with different perspectives on labeling, as well as related consumer and retailer preference issues. 

Dr. Alison Van Eenannaam, a cooperative Extension Specialist at UC Davis, Michael R. Dimock, president of Roots of Change and Phil Lempert, also known as the Supermarket Guru, will discuss increasing demands to implement GMO and non-GMO labeling schemes and the implications in the marketplace. The panel will be moderated by outgoing Western Growers Chairman Vic Smith of JVSmith Companies in Yuma, Arizona.

Workshop Details

Workshop II – GMO; What’s on Your Label

Monday, November 9, 2015 – 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location: Ballroom A

Sponsored by Western Growers Insurance Services

 

Moderator

Vic Smith, WG Chairman and President and Chairman, JVSmith Companies

 

The Panelists

Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, Cooperative Extension Specialist, UC Davis

Michael R. Dimock, President, Roots of Change

Phil Lempert, The Supermarket Guru

For more information on this workshop or on the Annual Meeting, contact Randy Hause at (949) 885-2265.

Annual Meeting Webpage

Annual Meeting Sponsors

See who else is going

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