FROM CRADLE TO CAREER: Launching Programs to Invest in Tomorrow’s Ag Workforce

March 23rd, 2017

There are 60,000 new job openings in agriculture each year in the United States, but there are only 35,000 graduates available to fill them, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Together with our members, Western Growers (WG) is trying to fill the workforce gap by investing in the ag leaders of the future, today.

In the past decade, WG has launched a series of programs aimed at providing youth with the knowledge and tools needed to be successful in their future careers. WG is now revamping the older programs, creating new ones and linking them together to help mold the future workforce of ag.

“Oftentimes, we are so busy with the present that we forget to invest in the future. We can no longer afford to have that luxury,” said Tom Nassif, WG president & CEO. “As ag advances and looks toward technology to help solve issues such as the dire labor shortage, we need highly-intelligent and enthusiastic young professionals to bring the industry to the next level.”

WG is focused on providing resources and opportunities to students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and encouraging them to apply their passion for STEM toward a career in ag. Technology will continue to be crucial in helping ag remain viable; the need for skills like computer science—especially the ability to code—are highly desired as apps are increasingly being utilized to assist with farming operations.

“As our current farm labor workforce rapidly decreases, engineers are critical to the development of robots and automatic harvesters that will assist with picking crops in the field. Big data is where our industry is headed, and we need graduates who understand how to apply that information to enhance management processes,” said Nassif.

 

FROM CRADLE

You may not recognize the Western Growers Foundation in this coming year. The Foundation, which launched nearly a decade ago as a program to plant and sustain school gardens around California and Arizona, has morphed into a movement of ag leaders working with educators to inspire our next generations of farmers. In addition to still providing grants for elementary and high schools to construct gardens, the Foundation will now be focused on supporting STEM and standards-based lessons to nurture children’s natural curiosity in areas related to farming and agriculture.

The revamped mission of the Foundation is to provide youth, ages five to 18, with a STEM foundation by encouraging lessons about agriculture. Through sponsored curriculum and hands-on learning in the gardens, students will learn about the science of how seeds become salads, the technology available to enhance plant growth, the engineering behind the ag equipment and the math needed to know how much water is needed for optimal yield.

The work of the Foundation will inspire children to continue to learn about STEM topics, graduate from elementary and high school and pursue a degree in a STEM-related topic at the university level. There, these students can explore programs such as Western Growers Careers in Ag to discover how they can apply their STEM degrees to highly-skilled jobs in agriculture.

 

TO COLLEGE

In June 2016, WG piloted a Careers in Ag Program with UC Davis and Cal Poly Pomona to bolster the number of STEM college graduates seeking employment opportunities in ag. The purpose of the program is to 1) introduce college students to the variety of careers agriculture has to offer; 2) encourage STEM students to pursue a career in ag; and 3) introduce WG members to highly-intelligent students who they may want to hire in the future.

Students who are selected for the program participate in a three-day tour of ag and tech operations, where they are introduced to the educational pathways (e.g., courses, majors, internships) that lead to STEM careers in ag and related industries. Career advisors from the partner colleges are in attendance to make a direct connection between the curriculum and potential STEM careers in agriculture. Guest speakers also join the group during lunch and dinner to give students one-on-one interaction with ag professionals in the STEM field.

“Being able to listen and learn about current ag issues like labor and food safety directly from the farmers was extremely valuable,” said Timothy Batz, a plant science major at Cal Poly Pomona. “It helped place my ag skills and concepts from the classroom into a real-world context.”

The tour focuses on WG member companies with STEM-related career opportunities and emphasizes topics including: pest and disease management; crop science; ecology; engineering and robotics; food safety; soil science; and innovation and technology. Students have visited member companies in Salinas, Central Valley, Imperial/Coachella Valley and Yuma during past tours.

Since the launch of the original pilot program, Careers in Ag has transformed into a fully-integrated tour that also educates students from the University of Arizona, as well as from California community colleges. The program has now hosted three tours and has educated 56 students to date. WG will continually follow up with these students to connect them to possible employment opportunities within WG member companies, and in the future, reach out to them participation in leadership programs such as the Western Growers Future Volunteer Leaders Program.

 

TO CAREER

WG recently installed its fourth class of Future Volunteer Leaders, a program designed for the next generation of leaders within WG member companies interested in becoming more informed and effective advocates for the fresh produce industry. These individuals are policy-minded and have expressed a desire to serve the industry in volunteer leadership capacities.

During this two-year program, young leaders have the opportunity to develop an understanding of the legislative process and how public policy issues affect the industry. The class is invited to participate in all regular board meeting functions, as well as meet with state and federal legislators and engage in political advocacy. The second year is also highlighted by a Florida production tour with members of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association’s leadership program.

Twenty-eight have graduated from the program and have already made a difference in advocating on behalf of the industry. Pete Aiello of Uesugi Farms wrote an op-ed for the Fresno Bee about the detrimental effects pesticide bans have on farming operations. Neill Callis of Turlock Fruit Company was featured in the Modesto Bee speaking about the importance of global trade deals, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, in growing the fresh produce industry and the national economy. The newest cohort is even delving into using Twitter as an advocacy tool. After participating in WG’s Social Media Summit, members of the FVL class created Twitter accounts to start publicly posting their opinions on issues regarding water, labor, crop protection, trade and more.

 

AND BEYOND

In addition to identifying and attracting the next generation of ag leaders, WG is also focused on recruitment and retention. The Western Growers HR Practices and Compensation Survey has collected data for the past seven years to provide members with crucial information needed to keep compensation competitive. The information is crucial to helping ag and ag-related companies stay ahead of the curve so they can attract and retain the best employees in in California and Arizona’s produce industry.

The survey helps organizations determine information including how their company’s wages and benefits stack up against other companies in the area, if the company is keeping up with trends to attract and keep the best employees and much more.

The association and WG member companies will continue to make it a priority to help shape our future workforce and retain those highly-skilled employees.

“Looking ahead with enthusiasm, we feel that we have invested in the next generation and new talent to move forward,” said Garland Reiter during his speech after he and Miles Reiter received the 2016 Award of Honor last November. “If we continue to listen in the field, engage with consumers and empower our youth, we will further bring diversity and success to agriculture.”

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PESTICIDE SAFETY: Worker Protection Standard

March 23rd, 2017

By Hilario Garcia

WGIS Loss Control Consultant

Pesticide safety is a constant agricultural concern as it pertains to both the effect on food products as well as the effect on workers working in and near areas where pesticides are applied. In light of recent events, businesses utilizing pesticides in their operations may face increased scrutiny by regulatory agencies.

In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the Worker Protection Standard (WPS). The WPS is a federal regulation designed to reduce the risk of accidental pesticide poisoning for agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. The EPA, along with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and the local county agricultural commissioner in each county in California, oversee that the measures and regulations involving the safe use of crop protection products are being implemented and followed.

 

Who is affected by the Worker Protection Standard?

This regulation is intended to reduce the risk of accidental exposure for the workers and pesticide handlers involved with agriculture establishments to include farms, nurseries, greenhouses, or forestry operations. Workers are generally those who perform hand-labor tasks such as harvesting, cultivating, pruning, and thinning. Handlers are usually those that are in direct contact with pesticides, which are often categorized as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and rodenticides. Handlers are tasked with mixing, loading, or applying these crop protection products.

Nonetheless, the general public’s safety can also be affected by WPS regulation. The general public can be defined as non-agricultural employees, customers, government officials, or bystanders. Failure to follow the guidelines set forth by WPS can result in accidental exposure to pesticides for the unsuspecting public. This type of accidental exposure occurred last January in Amarillo, Texas, when a resident, attempting to kill mice, applied a pesticide and water under his home. The “restricted use” pesticide mixed with water producing a toxic cloud that killed his four children and sent another six people to the hospital. The father was not a certified pesticide handler.

 

What are the basics of the Worker Protection Standard?

There are three basic principles that form the foundation of the WPS to provide protection to agricultural workers, pesticide handlers, and others. The three principles are information, protection, and mitigation.

Pesticide safety information is communicated through training and informative posters at centralized locations or a site affected by the application of pesticides. Information for the uses and precautions for pesticides can be found on safety data sheets (SDS) or on detailed labels included on pesticide containers or packaging.

Moreover, manufacturers of pesticides are required to create an SDS for each product they produce. An SDS can also be obtained from the pesticide vendor or searching and matching the pesticide name off an internet source.

The DPR developed the Pesticide Safety Information Series (PSIS) leaflets as a training aid for employees. California regulations require these documents to be part of pesticide handler and field worker training and are often found posted on or near an employer’s bulletin board at a centralized location that’s easily accessible to employees. There are two leaflet series: The “A” series covers agricultural settings and the “N” series covers non-agriculture settings. These informative leaflets are printed in English, Spanish and Punjabi. Revisions to the WPS in 2015 now require pesticide safety training for both regular workers and handlers to be conducted annually.

To ensure employees are being protected from exposures to pesticides, the WPS requires employers to follow several protective measures. Protection from pesticides begins with excluding regular workers and others from areas treated by pesticides. Restricted entry intervals (REI) found on SDS or labels must be followed to protect employees near or in pesticide treated areas. Another form of protection is prohibiting a handler from applying pesticides in a way that will expose workers or others. To protect handlers and early-entry workers while doing permitted REI tasks, employers must provide the adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended by the product’s SDS or label. This PPE commonly consists of disposable coveralls (over an employee’s own long sleeved shirts and long pants), chemical resistant gloves and footwear, eye protection, and respiratory protection.

To mitigate exposure to pesticides, an employer will provide supplies to include water, soap, and single-use paper towels for routine washing and emergency decontamination. An adequate eyewash water system must be in place for any pesticide exposure to the eyes. The availability of transportation to a medical care facility if any worker or handler is exposed or injured by a pesticide must be provided under the WPS.

 

How employers are impacted by Worker Protection Standard violations

The EPA, along with state and county agriculture commissioner’s offices, monitor compliance with the WPS through inspections. Employers of agricultural workers and pesticide handlers may be inspected if a complaint or tip is filed, a random selection is conducted or if they are a targeted business. Failure to comply with the label instructions can result in a pesticide misuse violation consisting of a warning letter, administrative order, administrative order with penalty, civil lawsuit, or criminal charges. A common scenario for monitoring pesticide use compliance is a county agricultural official stopping at a random agriculture location to perform an inspection if a violation is visible from the roadside. An example that may prompt an inspection is the lack of or improper use of PPE by a pesticide handler.

Our team of Western Growers Insurance Services loss control consultants and supporting staff are available to conduct a variety of safety trainings including the mandatory WPS safety training. Training sessions can be customized to include pesticide training topics and are available in English and Spanish.

In addition to the training, our experienced team can provide consultative assistance with the documentation necessary to be compliant with the federal, state, or county government agencies overseeing the use of pesticides. To answer any questions, please contact Ken Cooper, director of risk strategy at WGIS, at [email protected] or (949) 379-3858.

 

 

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GET TO KNOW: KIM SHERMAN Western Growers’ New Director of Membership

March 23rd, 2017

Following the retirement of Randy Hause on January 3, 2017, Western Growers brought in Kim Sherman to head up the Membership Department.  Kim comes to Western Growers with a rich and varied background that will make her an immediate asset to the association and its members.  We recently sat down with Kim and asked her to help us get to know her better.

 

Tell us about your background and professional experiences.

I was born in the Midwest, but grew up in Orange County and earned my Bachelor of Arts from California State University, Long Beach.  In my professional career, I have a diverse background in advertising, marketing, employee benefits and association work.  Before coming to Western Growers, I served as the director of membership with the Irvine Chamber of Commerce for more than seven years.  I am a graduate of the U.S. Chamber Institute of Organizational Management and on the board of directors for Leadership Tomorrow Orange County.

 

Why were you interested in the job as director of membership?

Western Growers has an outstanding reputation in the industry and I am excited about the opportunity to support the generations of families that grow the best medicine in the world.  I have also heard that the members are some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet, and my goal is to help them achieve their business goals.

 

What do you hope to accomplish as head of the Membership Department?

I will work strategically with the Western Growers leadership team, board of directors and membership to enhance the value of our products and services, as well as the member experience, in order to achieve our mission statement: To enhance the competitiveness and profitability of our members.

 

What are some fun facts about yourself that you would like our members to know?

I was a competitive skier in college, I used to paint wall murals, and I was on a game show in the ‘80s and won a year’s supply of Sunny Delight!

 

What is your favorite fruit, vegetable or tree nut grown by our members?

I absolutely love avocados!

 

Answer one question that wasn’t asked but should have been.

For fun, I love to golf and travel.

 

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And on the Seventh Day…There Continue to Be Questions

March 23rd, 2017

By Jonathan Siegel, Jackson Lewis P.C.

Agriculture employers continue to be challenged by Assembly Bill 1066, the groundbreaking new California law that, among other things, extends the state’s daily and weekly overtime requirements to agricultural workers over a period of time. However, the new legislation also has created many questions regarding its interpretation and impact based on some questionable drafting of the law.

As previously documented, AB 1066 repealed agriculture’s long-standing 10-hour straight-time workday and replaced it with the gradual imposition of an eight-hour workday and a 40-hour workweek for agricultural employees. While the new laws affecting overtime pay will not be phased-in until 2019 for most employers, other changes in the bill went into effect on January 1, 2017. Most notably, AB 1066 arguably amended Labor Code section 554(a), removing the “one day’s rest in seven” exemption previously enjoyed by agricultural employers.

This “day of rest” rule is promulgated by Labor Code sections 551 and 552. Section 551 requires “[e]very person employed in any occupation of labor [to be] entitled to one day’s rest therefrom in seven,” while section 552 mandates that “[n]o employer of labor shall cause his employees to work more than six days in seven.”  Prior to AB 1066, Labor Code section 554(a) provided an exemption from the rule to any person employed in an agricultural occupation. To make matters worse, the various meanings in these “day of rest” provisions are being considered by the California Supreme Court.

Since agricultural employers must now navigate this area of law, it is important for employers to closely monitor developments regarding a pending case involving the interpretation of the “day of rest” provision. The California Supreme Court was asked to clarify the meaning of the “day of rest” provision at issue in Mendoza v. Nordstrom, Inc. On February 7, 2017, the California Supreme Court heard oral argument and the case was submitted to the Court. As a result, the Court will likely issue a decision in 2017. The California Supreme Court was asked to answer three questions:

1.   California Labor Code section 551 provides that “[e]very person employed in any occupation of labor is entitled to one day’s rest therefrom in seven.”  Is the required day of rest calculated by the workweek, or is it calculated on a rolling basis for any consecutive seven-day period?

      The results can vary greatly depending on how the seven-day period is calculated and interpreted. For example, if a “day of rest” is only required once every workweek, an employer could schedule a day-off the first day of one work week and the last day of the next work week, which means the employee could work more than seven consecutive days in a row. The question becomes: is the seven-day period construed to be any consecutive seven days (i.e., a

      rolling basis), or defined by the employer’s seven day payroll work week.

2.   California Labor Code section 556 exempts employers from providing such a day of rest “when the total hours of employment do not exceed 30 hours in any week or six hours in any one day thereof.”  Does that exemption apply when an employee works less than six hours in any one day of the applicable week, or does it apply only when an employee works less than six hours in each day of the week?

      The Court will need to decide what the key words “provide” and “any” mean with respect to the exemption. Does this exemption mean an employer need not provide a day of rest if an employee works less than six hours in “any” single day of the applicable week?  Does the word “any” mean “one” day in the week? These are the type of questions that need to be answered.

3.   California Labor Code section 552 provides that an employer may not “cause his employees to work more than six days in seven.”  What does it mean for an employer to “cause” an employee to work more than six days in seven: force, coerce, pressure, schedule, encourage, reward, permit, or something else?

      The Court will likely decide the situation if employees can voluntarily work more than six days in seven as opposed to being scheduled by their employer to work the time. The trial court determined the employees voluntarily waived the right to a day of rest by accepting additional shifts on their days-off. We will see how the California Supreme Court will treat the issue.

Employers should monitor these developments for clarification of the “day of rest” provision. Employers should also consult with their counsel about the applicability of Labor Code section 554(a) which allows employers to accrue rest days “when the nature of the employment reasonably requires that the employee work seven or more consecutive days, if in each calendar month the employee receives days of rest equivalent to one day’s rest in seven.”  Employer could possibly explore whether Section 554(b) could be helpful. This Section provides a “hardship” exemption through the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE).

Employers should review their “day of rest” work practices to determine the proper course of action in light of AB 1066. This is just one of many unanswered questions arising out of AB 1066 for agriculture employers.

 

Jonathan Siegel is a shareholder at the Orange County Office of Jackson Lewis P.C. representing employers with respect to workplace law.

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Changing Workers’ Comp in the Ag Industry

March 23rd, 2017

By Ken Cooper

Workers’ compensation insurance is too often thought of as a generic commodity; a mandatory purchase that is simply part of the cost of doing business, with little to differentiate one program from another.

The truth is that a workers’ comp policy is just one of many tools for mitigating the financial risks of workplace injuries. The policy itself is only designed to deal with the effects of an injury claim, but does nothing to help you minimize the risk of accidents or manage the costs of claims and future premiums.

In other words, workers’ comp insurance is designed to be reactive, not proactive. Doing little more than purchasing coverage is like buying auto insurance and then leaving your car unlocked overnight in a high-crime area. If it’s stolen or vandalized, your policy might cover the loss, but it will come at a cost of time, energy, and higher premiums.

Insurance policies provide protection in the event of a worst case scenario. It’s still up to you to do your best to prevent such a scenario from occurring in the first place.

A comprehensive workers’ comp program goes far beyond simply paying out claims. It must provide the resources you need to prevent injuries before they happen, and help you properly track and manage claims when they occur. To provide a proper fit, an insurer needs to have specialized knowledge of the agricultural industry, understand your unique business situation, and offer additional safety and loss control services to help you manage your risk.

The Western Growers workers’ comp program leverages more than 30 years of ag Industry expertise, giving us the insight required to offer WG members high-level solutions usually reserved for only the largest employers. In addition to providing workers’ comp policy coverage from A-rated carriers, we provide specialized loss prevention and claim cost mitigation services to ensure you have the right risk management strategy in place—helping to minimize claims, reduce premiums, and lower the costs associated with workers’ comp.

 

Loss Prevention

The first step to minimizing workers’ comp-related costs is to prevent injuries from occurring. Our safety experts will help you maintain a secure work environment and uncover hidden risks by:

•    Assessing your worksite, reviewing your safety protocols, and providing guidance to help make your workplace safer.

•    Providing on-site, bilingual safety training for your entire organization.

•    Analyzing your loss trends to identify problem areas and get ahead of potential future issues.

•    Developing a loss control plan to reduce the number of workers’ compensation incidents and mitigate future losses.

 

Claim Cost Mitigation

When claims do occur, it’s critical to properly manage the process in order to minimize claim costs and future premiums. Our experienced workers’ compensation claims management team will help you implement a program to:

•    Identify and fight fraudulent claims.

•    Manage claims so that they settle out for the smallest total cost possible.

•    Track claims that affect your experience modifications (ex-mods).

•    Provide you with reports that show the status of each indemnity claim, indicate the corresponding plan of action to resolve it, and project how future premiums may be affected.

As an employer, there are many steps you can take to reduce the risk of workplace injuries and positively impact the safety of your workforce. The challenge is understanding how to assess your situation and implement changes in a way that’s cost effective and doesn’t disrupt the day-to-day operations of your business. One of the many advantages of Western Growers membership is access to insurance products, guidance, and resources to help you manage a comprehensive workplace safety program as efficiently as possible.

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AG TECHNOLOGY: Firm Turns Energy Efficiency into Cost Savings

March 23rd, 2017

When Chris Terrell, a strategic energy manager, walked through farm fields and processing plants six years ago, he started to notice a trend: farmers were spending an exorbitant amount of money on electricity consumption.

At the time, he worked for EnerNOC, Inc., a global cleantech company in partnership with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), and noticed there were few, if any, technologies available to help agriculturalists curtail energy usage, cut costs and save time on labor. He wanted to change that.

Terrell, along with co-founder Chris Vines (a mechanical engineer), had an idea that has revolutionized the way farmers manage energy use. They launched Wexus Technologies, Inc.—a start-up company, headquartered in San Francisco, that has developed a cloud-based, energy and water management software system for agriculture.

“Our company grew out of necessity,” said Terrell, who is the company’s chief executive officer. “With the rise of mobile devices and connected sensors, growers wanted information in real time on their phone, with specific recommendations on how to make operations more efficient. A lot of companies were providing this type of technology in commercial and industrial buildings but not in ag.”

Wexus specializes in providing these types of recommendations, especially those targeting energy and water costs due to irrigation.

Approximately 20 percent of California’s energy usage goes to moving water. This includes energy to collect, move and treat water; dispose of wastewater; and power the large pumps that move water throughout the state. Without electricity to pump surface water from irrigation channels, reservoirs or direct groundwater to farms, growers would not be able to irrigate their crops. Furthermore, under “time of use” rates, farmers can be charged up to five times as much to use this energy if they are irrigating in the afternoons versus mornings or evenings. Additionally, utility energy rates in California have increased on average 15 percent every year for the last several years and are continuing to rise.

The Wexus team has built the world’s first “early warning system” for the ag industry that alerts growers in real time to actual costs and potential equipment problems of their irrigation systems. Wexus helps farmers optimize crop production and irrigation by closely tracking how much energy and water their irrigation pumps are using, when they are using it and how much it is actually costing them. Tapping into their extensive experience with smart metering, energy markets and developing cloud-based software, Terrell and Vines created a software platform that calculates weather patterns, tracks water usage and aggregates data about energy usage across the entire farm through a network of existing utility meters. This data informs farmers exactly how much it costs to irrigate at certain points in the day. Farmers can use this information to plan irrigation schedules and start making decisions based on actual costs instead of having to guess, and then being hit with large utility bills later.

“If you’re a grower spending up to $100,000 a month in electricity bills, energy is typically seen as a sunk cost,” said Terrell. “We’re helping growers get a handle on the energy and water they could be saving, known to us as the ‘Water-Energy Nexus,’ and save them thousands of dollars each year that are literally flying out of their pockets.”

Terrell and his team sees energy savings as a competitive advantage and a multiplier: it is much easier to drive higher net operating income and higher farm asset value by focusing on efficiency gains versus trying to acquire more land to grow more crops, or even installing more solar panels.

With Wexus, growers have better tools and actionable insights to optimize and manage their current and historical utility bills, energy costs, peak usage and surcharges, overall energy usage and utility rates. The Wexus team leverages existing utility smart meters to access data on behalf of customers. They also work with customers to install additional hardware at the pump to track energy and water usage in near-real time with text alerts and email reports on their phone. This allows growers to track which pumps are on or off (when maybe they shouldn’t be) and remotely manage those irrigation pumps to avoid costly peak usage surcharges. It even allows farmers to remotely track the efficiency of a pump and calculate energy and dollar savings or identify potential maintenance or aquifer issues. Wexus also tracks renewable energy production through solar PV systems by closely tracking net metering and bills, which is a growing challenge in the industry as more growers have “gone solar.”

“Many companies in the agtech space are focused on irrigation management through automation and remote control via hardware and sensors in the field. That technology is great, but a key problem still remains: no one can really tell you the costs associated with irrigation and what your real return on investment will be after you implement the technology. But we can,” said Terrell.

And it is only going to get better from here. Since their initial funding from a competitive grant award through the California Energy Commission, Wexus also recently received a Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (WGICT) scholarship, awarded by the Western Growers Foundation through a Wells Fargo grant. The scholarship will offset the costs of being a resident in the Center and help the company further strengthen relationships with the Center sponsors, residents and WG members.

Currently, Wexus is piloting a new program with PG&E (also a WGCIT sponsor) that is slated to roll out in early March. PG&E’s initiative will focus on driving energy savings and provide a high-level of service to ag customers. PG&E has tapped Wexus to pioneer the program with the energy giant. Together, they plan to integrate new energy-saving technology into the ag space and provide turnkey services to growers. The program will offer growers better tools and technologies to manage irrigation and food processing energy usage, provide trainings and workshops on ways to drive energy savings, make rebates easily available and more.

Wexus also plans to use the scholarship as an opportunity to collaborate with other start-up companies working out of the WGCIT to develop fully integrated software platforms that give growers a “one-stop shop” for monitoring and managing their operations.

“Our customers are our number one priority. If we’re able to work with fellow residents in the Center to develop integrated technologies where customers can cut costs, increase efficiencies and minimize losses, it would bring ag and agtech to the next level,” said Terrell. Technologies could include an all-in-one application or system where growers can manage everything from their energy and water usage to closely tracking employee labor and cost accounting or meeting food safety requirements.

As a member of the WGCIT since July 2016, Wexus has leveraged the resources offered by the Center to not only advance agtech development, but to focus on strengthening the ag workforce. Terrell, a U.S. Army veteran, is currently working with Dennis Donohue, lead of the WGCIT, to develop an outreach program to veterans and current military members, encouraging them the pursue a career in ag and agtech.

“I’ve made the transition from active duty to civilian life, and I know how extremely difficult it can be,” said Terrell. “By recruiting some of our nation’s best and brightest to work with leading tech experts, we can leverage the expertise of veterans to enhance tech and farming. If you really want to support the troops, then hire them.”

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A Home-Grown Legislator

March 23rd, 2017

Assemblyman Vince Fong representing California 34th which includes most of Bakersfield

(Editor’s Note: The questions and answers have been paraphrased for clarity and brevity.)

Your official bio says that you “wanted to positively affect the region you have always called home.” Where were you born and where were you raised?

I am proud to say I was born and raised in the district I now represent. I was born in Bakersfield, California, at Memorial Hospital, my hometown. I attended all local public schools starting at Sandrini Elementary. After Sandrini, I went to Thompson Junior High and graduated from West High School. From there I went to UCLA for undergrad where I received my bachelor’s degree in political science then went east to Princeton University where I received my master’s in public affairs.

 

Was it something you saw, witnessed or experienced growing up that influenced your decision to serve in elected office?

Not really. I kind of fell into politics and public service. When I was growing up, I think if you asked my father, he would be shocked today to see me in a role as a public figure since I was shy and had a stutter when I was young. The last thing I think most people would have imagined for me was to be out front in a role like this.

 

Was your experience as a Capitol Hill intern your first foray into the public policy and political arena?

It was. My internship with Bill Thomas happened right after I graduated from UCLA. That’s when I also met Kevin McCarthy, who was the Congressman’s district director. Both Bill and Kevin were great mentors and gave me a chance to see how valuable public service was and how important it was to give back to your community. The internship launched everything that has happened since then. During that time, I was very tied to Kevin. I spent the whole summer in Bakersfield answering phones and cutting out news clippings and doing other errands. You can learn a lot from watching successful people. It was a really eye-opening experience for me. They say timing is everything and in this case, it really was.

 

You have had the opportunity to work for both former Congressman Bill Thomas, and current Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. How did your work in D.C. and in the district help prepare you for your job as assembly member?

I learned a lot from working with such great leaders as Bill and Kevin, but three things in particular come to mind. One is: “Be the first in the room and last to leave.” Second: “Always get a seat at the negotiating table because decisions will be made with or without you.” And lastly, Kevin taught me, “You must have the courage to lead, but the wisdom to listen.” Basically, you just have to work hard, listen to your constituents and do the best you can.

 

How do you describe your ideology?

I am conservative—but more importantly—I see myself as a problem solver. I believe elected officials are there to solve problems. I apply my principals when working to solve any problem facing my community.

 

What platform did you run on this past November?

When I ran for office in November the number one issue was water. That was—and still is—the number one issue within the community. Tied to that is the need to improve our business climate. The two issues are linked and provided the main platform that I ran on. We need to bring water to the Valley, and in doing so, we can improve the business climate so we can grow and have a healthy economy. I’ve never seen a time since I have been involved in government that one area of the state—the Central Valley—has been so negatively impacted by decisions made in Sacramento. Whether it’s water policy, ag overtime, or all of the environmental restrictions coming down from AB/SB 32—they all directly and negatively affect us.

 

What are your priorities as a newly-elected assembly member?

My legislation is all tied to the platform I ran on during the election cycle. My first bill, AB 77, is an attempt to reign in state agencies. It says that any regulation proposed by a state agency that costs $50 million or more must come back to the Legislature for a review.

I also announced a major transportation funding package to try to build more roads and fund infrastructure projects. My proposal doesn’t raise taxes or fees, and tries to accomplish funding these necessary projects in a positive way.

Additionally, I plan on making changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and pursuing reforms to the Private Attorney Generals Act (PAGA). The PAGA process has been abused over the last few years and needs to be looked at.

Those are our major bills. Of course, I will be involved in water discussions, however a lot of those discussions will be done through the State Water Board and through the regulatory process. The more I can be involved, the better.

 

What is the biggest issue or challenge you see facing your district?

As I mentioned, water is still the biggest issue even though we have been recently blessed with storms and rain. The storms just made the need for solving conveyance and infrastructure issues all the more apparent. We still need to get water from the Delta region down to the Central Valley and we still need to invest in more water storage like the Sites Reservoir and Temperance Flat. The Oroville Dam issue is a clear wake-up call that we cannot ignore our water and transportation infrastructure needs. We need to invest in those things. Lake Oroville is the center piece of the State Water Project and it needs to be modernized and improved. And our roads, highways and bridges need attention too. We need to get our products to market.

It’s also critical for us to improve our business climate locally and statewide. Our long-term prosperity as a state relies on improving local and regional economies, especially in the Central Valley. We obviously need to send a message that California is open for business. We need to continue to attract and encourage innovation and encourage small businesses, farming, and manufacturing. Those are the industries that need to be successful in order for our economy to be healthy.

 

It seems farmers are being constantly barraged with laws and regulations that affect their ability to run efficient and profitable businesses. Is there anything that can be done to stop farmers from being regulated out of business in California?

I always remind people that California is an agriculture state. Ag is one of our state’s top industries, so we must be vigilant and engaged on all levels as an industry. It is possible to stop regulations that make it difficult for farmers to farm by staying engaged on all levels. That means being engaged not only in the legislature, but in our communities. We need to bridge the disconnect between the industry and the public and help them understand the value and importance of agriculture to the economy. We also need to help them better understand what farmers provide and how their products improve everyone’s quality of life. Food and fiber are critical to families everywhere. Farmers and ranchers need to be the messengers because they live it every day. The more visible and out there they are, I think the better off we are.

 

What advice would you give farmers who are fighting the “good fight” on the federal, state and local levels about the best way to convince policymakers that they are not the bad guys?

There is a lot of negative information and misinformation out there about ag. Unfortunately, the public doesn’t hear enough about some of the great things farmers do to be good stewards of the land—their livelihoods are reliant on being good stewards of the environment. People need to hear more about their water conservation measures, the technology they employ that reduces inputs and the innovations farmers utilize to show how productive and resourceful they are. It’s critical that those stories are communicated and shared, not only in the Central Valley, but throughout the rest of the state as well.

 

Tell us something about yourself that a lot of people don’t know.

I’m not very fast, but I do enjoy running. I try to do some races once in a while just to prove I am in decent shape. I’ve done 5 and 10ks and some half marathons, but I can’t say I won any medals!

 

Our state produces the largest variety of fruits and vegetables in the country. What are some of your favorites?

Growing up in Kern County I get my share of carrots, grapes, almonds and pistachios.

 

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2017: The Year Ahead in Sacramento

March 23rd, 2017

The California Legislature descended on Sacramento in January to begin the 2017-2018 session. This is a challenging and busy time for Western Growers staff as we meet with the new members of the Assembly and Senate to introduce them to WG and to the myriad of daily challenges that our industry faces.

These meetings serve an important role in allowing us an opportunity early in the legislative process to identify and discuss specific problems we face on crop protection, labor, water supply and quality, and other issues. WG staff also provides information on recommended legislative and regulatory changes that would best help the industry. These meetings are also helpful in gaining insight into the legislative priorities that are likely to come to the forefront throughout the session. Indeed, Assembly and Senate members often ask for our thoughts and perspectives on a particular legislative idea. Over the years several proposals have been scuttled before ever seeing the light of day because of the concerns expressed early by WG’s advocates in Sacramento.

Early speculation has it that 2017 will be a uniquely-challenging year for the entire state business community in Sacramento. There are several signs that this could very well prove to be true. The Legislature has introduced 500 more bills this year than last, totaling 2,495 bills. The greater bill load will allow members to pursue a larger number of policy and political goals, and paves the legislative pathway for them to do that more aggressively.

Most notably, the election of President Donald Trump has ignited a groundswell of opposition to his presidency by a large number of key Democratic legislators, and this opposition has already found its way into some of the legislative priorities for 2017. Both the legislative leadership and Governor Jerry Brown have made it clear on numerous occasions that they will not hesitate to move aggressively to defend existing California policies against Trump Administration actions that may either seek to repeal or significantly alter those policies. Although it is expected that many of these battles will take place in the courts, legislators have also said that defending the state’s positions means doubling down on California’s progressive policies on important topics such as the environment, climate change and labor.

These statements are of great concern for our industry and for the larger business community. Especially since these progressive policy agendas are very difficult to defeat without a robust moderate Democratic caucus that is willing to take a hard stand, make their voice heard and either abstain or vote against such legislation. Last year on the ag overtime issue, we witnessed what can happen when the moderate Democratic caucus loses its determination. The larger business community needs to learn from this and continue reaching out to both educate and build a larger and stronger moderate Democratic caucus.

WG staff expects that there will be substantial focus on these topics in the weeks and months ahead and we remain committed to engage as aggressively as ever to fight actions that threaten the profitability and sustainability of our members and their employees and their families.

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Product Testing: What Has Changed?

March 23rd, 2017

The food safety landscape continues to change in the produce sector. Producers normally use microbial testing to measure water quality and potential issues related to a process and environment. Produce testing is mainly conducted to meet customer requirements.

It is well known that produce testing cannot guarantee produce safety alone. However, there is still confusion about what product testing can and cannot ensure. Produce testing can only ensure the product tested is pathogen-free if 100 percent of the product is tested rendering it a cost-prohibitive, impractical option.

There are still several technical and operational challenges that producers deal with when performing produce testing on raw or finished product. Some of these challenges include: the highly perishable nature of most fresh produce items (results are needed as soon as possible), the lack of a statistically valid sampling protocol (sampling is not representative) as well as the selectivity and sensitivity of commercial pathogen tests (the ability of tests to detect when pathogens are present—especially at low levels).

Up to this day the biggest barrier to having a robust product testing program is the lack of statistically valid sampling protocols, stated Dr. Trevor Suslow, an extension specialist from UC Davis in a recent Western Growers webinar related to the subject. He also confirmed that determining the appropriate number of samples to test and the level of confidence those samples represent is a major limitation. This is true because microbial contamination loads vary greatly among different produce commodities, and pathogens are normally found at low and non-homogenous levels at the field level.

In the last few years, the sensitivity (ability to detect bacteria if they are present) and selectivity (ability to distinguish closely related bacteria) of testing methods have improved significantly resulting in fewer issues related to false positives and negatives. This is good news considering both sensitivity and specificity play a big part when selecting a specific test type. While selecting the right test type is a key consideration, the use of a robust sampling protocol and data analysis are also essential for product testing to minimize risk and contribute to the overall improvement of a company’s food safety system.

Currently, commercial testing programs for fresh produce rely on rapid methods (with different sensitivities and specificities). The Probability of Detection (POD) and Limit of Detection (LOD) are affected by factors such as sample enrichment and concentration, which in turn are affected by the status of the pathogen cells and sampling distribution. This is why it is important to work with the service providers to understand the POD and LOD of testing kits as well as the target detection limit and methodology.

Test kit validation can improve POD and other technologies on the horizon can also address and enhance the sensitivity and specificity of detection. One promising technology currently used at the public and regulatory levels is whole genome sequencing (WGS). Whole Genome Sequencing may still be unfamiliar to many people, but the term simply refers to a laboratory process that determines the entire set of genes or genome of an organism (complete DNA make-up).

According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) representatives, WGS enables the agency to better understand variations within and between species and organisms with more precision than other technologies. While more widely used at the regulatory level, WGS holds potential as a valuable tool for industry in monitoring pathogens and spoilage organisms as well as sanitary control effectiveness.

Regardless of the technology to be used, Dr. Suslow believes that the validation of pathogen detection platforms for fresh produce should be performed in a context that considers the following: 1) the phyllosphere (the above-ground part of the plant) interactions on target pathogens that affect their survival and adaptation; 2) the sample mass and processing matrix, 3) enrichment protocols; and 4) extended enrichment to minimize the risk of false negatives.

The use of microbiological testing is a tool for the development and verification of a food safety program, a produce testing program must have a defined purpose, clear procedure, use validated methods and clear actions to address results. While new tools continue to advance to overcome current technical and operational limitations, it is still true that if product testing is not properly designed and/or implemented, it may provide false assurances and misleading interpretations. This fact has not changed.

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Navigating Through Another Transition in Health Insurance Reform

March 23rd, 2017

By David Zanze

With upcoming changes to health insurance reform in development by the Trump Administration, Western Growers Assurance Trust (WGAT) is prepared once again to roll with the changes and look for solutions that benefit our members. Since 1957, we have been offering health coverage to employers in the agriculture community and during that time, we have seen our share of change to the delivery of health care on both a state and federal level. While adjusting to change can be challenging, we as an organization thrive in this environment and use it to our members’ advantage.

When the state of California passed Assembly Bill 1672 in 1993, WGAT responded by creating new products and plans that helped to mitigate adverse risk resulting from the new law. Those new products kept plans affordable and our organization fiscally stable for our members. The law changed the way small businesses (2-50 employees), could shop, purchase and renew their health insurance coverage. Among other provisions, the bill required insurers to have pricing restrictions on their small group plans of no more than plus or minus 10 percent, as well as guarantee that the plans would be available and renewable in consequent years. At the time of the law’s passage, employers were skeptical and wondered how they would adapt to a new way of purchasing company health care, worrying that it would unravel the insurance industry. As a result, WGAT created a selection of more plan offerings that gave small group employers added flexibility to cover their health risk but still offered a competitive health plan at a rate they could afford.

Then when under the Obama Administration, Congress passed the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (ACA) in March 2010, it eliminated mini-medical plans, which were a popular choice for our WGAT members, especially among seasonal harvesters. WGAT responded by creating the Cedar Network, an effective way for employers to offer basic health coverage to employees at a low premium cost. The Cedar Network was (and still is) a proprietary network designed exclusively for the agriculture community. It allows Western Growers Assurance Trust to offer primary care coverage with a $5 copay while providing unlimited coverage for catastrophic events. It was similar to a mini-medical plan, which offered basic health care to employees, but placed dollar caps on how much was paid out annually in services. The Cedar Network turned out to be a good solution and is one of our most popular health products for members who want to offer an ACA-compliant, cost-effective health plan to their workers.

A key feature of our Cedar Network is the inclusion of Cedar Health and Wellness Centers, located in areas close to where our members and their employees work in areas such as Salinas, Watsonville and Santa Maria. This year, we expanded and have a fourth center in the Oxnard community. We also continue to improve our centers such as moving to larger facilities when necessary and expanding hours in some centers to include Saturdays. For employers who bought health plans after 2014, the Cedar Centers make it easier for plan participants to receive several of the free preventive services covered under the ACA.

Regardless of what is happening with health care reform in our state and federal governments, Western Growers Assurance Trust will continue to ride the winds of change as we have throughout our 60-year history. But one thing will always remain the same—we are focused on our singular mission to offer competitive health plans at a rate our members can afford. We will continue to look for ways to increase value to our health products and make sure that we are listening to our members to meet the unique needs of the agriculture industry.

Moving forward, know that what is in place now for your health insurance remains the same until you hear otherwise and we will keep you abreast of any significant changes that will affect your WGAT health plans. We hope that no matter what the ACA replacement or revision entails, you will continue to see value in offering WGAT health benefits to keep your valued workers healthy and productive.

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WG LEADERSHIP: Class IV Future Volunteer Leaders Installed in February

March 23rd, 2017

In early February, the fourth class of Future Volunteer Leaders assembled at the Western Growers Irvine headquarters for the inaugural activities of the two-year networking and leadership development program.

Class participant Heather Mulholland, chief operating officer for Mulholland Citrus, said the program “provides a unique opportunity to collaborate with, and learn from, a diverse network of industry leaders working for the common good of agriculture.”

Consisting of 11 members, Class IV began the three-day program with an orientation session in which they met senior Western Growers staff and were provided an introduction to the history and organizational structure of the association.

Domenick Buck, ranch manager for Anthony Vineyards, was surprised to learn about the depth and breadth of expertise and services provided by Western Growers and concluded that the success of his company “will be continue to be enhanced with the support of this organization.”

Following the orientation session, Class IV received a two-day Arbinger leadership seminar, titled Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box, which was punctuated by a social media workshop encouraging class members to leverage existing digital tools to better tell the story of agriculture.

“The Arbinger program was a very powerful experience,” stated Chris Rotticci, director of Automated Harvest Equipment for Taylor Farms. “The principles we learned, such as seeing others as people and not objects or obstacles to overcome, really resonated with the class and can be applied to both our personal and professional lives,” Rotticci continued.

Future Volunteer Leaders are invited to participate in all regular board meetings for the duration of the two-year program, including Sacramento in March, Washington, D.C., in May, Newport Beach in July and the Annual Meeting in November. Additionally, the second year of the program is highlighted by a Florida production tour with members of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association’s leadership program.

“During the course of this program, I am looking forward to learning more about my peers and the industry as a whole,” reflected Ben Barnard, senior director of operations and business development for Mission Produce. “I am also interested in gaining insight into the process by which major policy decisions for the industry are made.”

In explaining his own motivation for participating in the program, Kelly Strickland, vice president of operations for Five Crowns Marketing, is looking to “take an active role in an organization that has become a leading advocate for our industry.”

Sutton Morgan, owner and chief executive officer of Oasis Organics shared a similar sentiment: “Over the course of the next two years, I hope to better understand what it looks like to be an effective advocate for agriculture while building lasting relationships within our industry.”

The competitively-selected Future Volunteer Leaders Program is designed for the next generation of leaders within Western Growers member companies interested in becoming more informed and active advocates for the fresh produce industry.  These individuals are policy-minded and have an expressed desire to serve the industry—both now and in the future—in volunteer leadership capacities.

Class IV participants include:

•  Ben Barnard, Mission Produce

•  Domenick Buck, Anthony Vineyards

•  Ross Franson, Woolf Farming & Processing

•  Greg Lewis, Duda Farm Fresh Foods

•  Brent McKinsey, Mission Ranches

•  Sutton Morgan, Oasis Organics

•  Heather Mulholland, Mullholland Citrus

•  Eric Reiter, Reiter Affiliated Companies

•  Kyle Richardson, Rich-Pak Farms

•  Chris Rotticci, Taylor Farms

•  Kelly Strickland, Five Crowns Marketing

If you would like additional information about the Future Volunteer Leaders Program or are interested in applying for future classes, please contact Cory Lunde at [email protected] or (949) 885-2264.

 

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An Eye on Dividend Growth

March 23rd, 2017

By Richard Alpert, Raub Brock Capital Management

In achieving better stock market returns without taking unnecessary risk (the Holy Grail for stock investors), dividends matter. Over the past nine decades for which there is data, the majority of real returns from stocks have come from dividends. To pay a dividend, a company must deliver cold, hard cash to its shareholders. Corporate boards of directors that undertake the discipline of paying and increasing their dividends make better business decisions.

In data since the early 1970s studied by Raub Brock, dividend-paying stocks have outperformed non-dividend paying stocks nearly 55 percent of the time. When we factor in the significantly higher level of risk inherent in owning non-dividend paying stocks, the “risk-adjusted” outperformance by dividend-paying stocks rises to 75 percent.

But by itself, paying dividends is not the best indicator of which stocks provide the best potential long-term returns. More important than the level of the dividends is their sustainability. A recent study by a research team at Société Générale, the large French bank, concluded poor balance sheet quality is the best predictor of dividend cuts, and in our dividend studies, companies that cut or eliminated their dividends generated the worst returns.

To assure sustainable dividends, SocGen looks for financially robust companies, meaning those with both a strong balance sheet and a sound underlying business. SocGen concludes that low-risk, high quality companies have proven to be better investments than high-risk, low quality companies.

Too many equity managers are like lottery ticket purchasers looking for the big hit. Quality businesses are often boring businesses to follow, with simple, but healthy balance sheets. Because many equity managers and individual stock buyers look for excitement and are willing to overpay for it, unloved and unexciting “ho-hum” stocks are often under-owned and thus undervalued.

Our dividend studies indicate that the outperformance of dividend-growing companies is even greater than those companies that maintain a steady dividend. At Raub Brock, we strive to assure that we are buying true “growth” companies, ones that regularly grow their dividends, supported by reliable revenue and net profit growth. At the same time, we endeavor to look ahead to be sure that each company we own will be generating sufficient “free cash flow” (cash left over after paying expenses, including interest on a company’s debt) to be able to comfortably increase its dividend by 10 percent or more a year.

Western Growers Retirement Security Plan participants who elect to use Raub Brock can expect to own high quality mid- and large-cap companies that have a long history of paying dividends and have shown both a capacity and a willingness to grow their dividends over the long term. Our audited track record over the past 17 years shows that this approach to investing has generated significantly better risk-adjusted returns than a passive approach using a popular index such as the S&P 500. This approach has worked well in both up and down markets, but has been especially beneficial to investors during significant market downturns.

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Watermelon Firm Stands the Test of Time

March 23rd, 2017

CA Member Profile

George Perry & Sons

Manteca, CA

Member since 1997

 

IN THE BEGINNING: In 1906, Delphino Perry arrived in the United States from his native Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal. He was 16 when he joined his father in California and began working on a small dairy farm in San Luis Obispo. For the next decade, he stayed on the coast eventually moving north to Oakland. In his late 20s, D.V. Perry, as he was called, moved his wife and young son, George, to Manteca in the northern reaches of the San Joaquin Valley, and started a family legacy that is still running strong today.

In fact, 98-year-old George Perry, the namesake for Geo. Perry & Sons, still lives in very close proximity to the original plot of land that his father bought almost a century ago.

George Perry joined his father in the dairy and farming business when he was old enough in the early 1930s, and they established D.V. Perry & Son, which eventually morphed into George Perry & Sons.

 

FROM DAIRY TO MELONS: In the 1950s, D.V. and George Sr. operated the dairy and continued to increase their holdings and expanded further into melons and squashes. Besides growing those crops, they also operated as packers and shippers for other growers. Art Perry, who was born in 1944 to George Sr., joined the family operation full time after graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the 1960s. His younger brother George Jr. joined a few years later as he moved into the workforce. It was in the 1960s that the dairy was sold and all of the farming efforts were focused on the grower-shipper operation.

George Perry & Sons began as a partnership in the 1960s and formally incorporated in 1974, with the father and his two sons as equal shareholders.

 

CONTINUED GROWTH: The company has continued to grow over the years and Art said at one time it was the “largest shipper and handler of watermelons and pumpkins throughout California.” Today, he calls it “one of the larger ones.”

The watermelon is their signature crop and they are now a year-round supplier as they source from Mexico and the Southwest U.S. when California is not in season. Pumpkins are also a big crop as are other hard-shell squashes.

 

THE FAMILY LEGACY: Following a strict code that you are not part of the family business unless you are working in it full time, today’s ownership team consists of six members: CEO Art Perry; his longtime partner, brother George Jr.; George’s son of the same name; Art’s son, Ron; Art’s daughter Karen Widmer and one non-family member, grower Paul Gomes.

George Jr. and George M., as he is called, handle the equipment, while Ron is the controller and Gomes is the chief operating officer and in charge of growing operations. Many other family members also work in the organization. For example, Gail Perry, George Jr.’s wife, is the main salesperson and very well-known to buyers throughout the country.

Watermelons remain the company’s signature crop, but the watermelons grown in 2017 are far different than those grown 50, 40, 30, even 20 years ago. “There are very few seeded watermelons grown anymore,” said Art., also noting that the mini-watermelon has become quite popular.

Art in his early 70s and George Jr. in his mid to late 60s still come into the office every day and offer value to the company, which is a mandatory requirement of every shareholder. Art says each partner has their strengths but when one wants to walk away from the firm, the company rules requiring selling their shares back to the organization.

 

THE REASON FOR THEIR SUCCESS: Art says it is the company’s “faith in God and faith in family” which are their two guiding principles that set the tone each day and are the reasons behind their success. He noted that the company believes strongly about being involved in both the community and the industry. The company is a member of the National Watermelon Association with Ron Perry serving as the group’s 2017 president. George Perry & Sons celebrates its 20th anniversary as a member of Western Growers in April of this year.

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Save the Date for Forbes 2017 AgTech Summit in June

March 7th, 2017

Mark your calendars! The Forbes AgTech Summit is returning to Salinas on June 28- 29, 2017, where 600 of the smartest and most entrepreneurial minds in Silicon Valley and global agriculture will come together to tackle some of the world’s most critical challenges. Held for the third straight year, the Summit fosters lively debate and generates rich networking opportunities while showcasing the latest innovations for farmers, investors and stakeholders of the global agricultural ecosystem.

As a benefit of Western Growers’ strategic partnership with Forbes, members will receive $250 off the regular admission price. We encourage all members to attend this premier agtech event!

EVENT DETAILS
Forbes AgTech Summit
Date: June 28- 29, 2017
Registration: WG MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO REGISTER (use registration code: WGA17)

For questions, please contact Hank Giclas at (949) 885-2205. Additional information about this event can be found on the Forbes AgTech Summit website.

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Input Needed for AgTech Survey

March 7th, 2017

In an effort to develop technologies that meet growers’ exact needs, the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (WGCIT) and its resident start-up companies invite you to participate in our AgTech Survey.

The agtech startups working out of the WGCIT are dedicated to creating technologies based on growers’ input. The results of this short survey will help the startups determine which tech platforms are most useful to our members.

TAKE SURVEY HERE

For questions, contact Hank Giclas at (949) 885-2264.

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Upcoming Tech Talk Features Startup that Delivers High-Yielding Fertilizer

March 16th, 2017

Plant Nutrition Technologies (PNT), one of 31 agtech startups in the WG Center for Innovation & Technology, will be hosting a Tech Talk on March 28.  They will be speaking about their unique bio-mineral fertilizers that create healthier and stronger plants that bear more robust fruits and vegetables.

Join us either online or in person at the Center in Salinas to learn more about this innovative product.

During the Tech Talk, PNT President & CEO Dennis Amoroso will discuss their bio-conversion process where Rock Powder—a blend of the raw materials left from the mining eras—is combined with natural elements, such as bio-mass, manure, wood ash and various types of bacteria, to create a soil bio-mineralizing and regenerative fertilizer. The microbes from this fertilizer inhabit the soil, reach directly into the root system and provide better nutrition than synthetic fertilizers.

 For more information about PNT, join us for the Tech Talk and read the “From Mine Waste to Soil Gold: Firm Delivers High-Yielding Fertilizer” story featured in the WG&S Magazine.

EVENT INFORMATION

Plant Nutrition Technologies Tech Talk®

Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Location: Online or in-person.

Online: you will be emailed a link when you register.

In-person: Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (150 Main Street, Suite 130, Salinas, CA 93901)

Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM PDT

RSVP: To attend in-person, please RSVP to Emily Lyons at [email protected].
To attend online, please register here.

Tech Talks, which are offered at no cost, are hosted by the Center to introduce WG members and the community to the latest innovations. For more information about the Tech Talk Series or the Center, contact Hank Giclas at (949) 885-2205.

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Western Growers Forms Partnership with New Mexico Chile Association

March 30th, 2017

IRVINE, Calif., (March 30, 2017) — The New Mexico Chile Association (NMCA) and Western Growers (WG) have announced a strategic collaboration between their respective associations. The two groups have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that allows them to coordinate on business matters and policy issues of mutual interest. Additionally, the MOU gives New Mexico chile growers access to a host of WG member benefits, such as informational webinars, H-2A labor services, transportation services and expertise in trade and commodity services.

“In entering this partnership, we are motivated by Western Growers’ focus on the federal policy issues that uniquely impact fresh produce growers in the west,” said NMCA President Rick Ledbetter. “The New Mexico chile industry deals with many of the same challenges as our counterparts in other western states, including trade, food safety, water, immigration and labor. We are confident that the reputation of Western Growers and the expertise of their staff based in California and Washington, D.C., will generate significant benefit and value for our members.”

Under the terms of the agreement, all NMCA members that grow, distribute, or manufacture fresh chiles will become members of Western Growers and have access to select services. The agreement does not include New Mexico state advocacy or other state activities.

“New Mexico chiles are an iconic symbol of the produce industry and we are privileged to formalize the relationship between our two associations,” said WG President and CEO Tom Nassif. “Western Growers has long advocated for the needs of fresh produce growers, shippers and processors in California and Arizona, and, more recently, Colorado. Today, we are proud to add New Mexico chile growers to our ranks, and look forward to working together to resolve the pressing concerns facing western agriculture.”

The two associations will also promote the partnership to their respective memberships and explore additional opportunities for collaboration as the relationship develops.

About Western Growers:
Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California and Colorado. Our members and their workers provide over half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including nearly half of America’s fresh organic produce. Some members also farm throughout the U.S. and in other countries so people have year-round access to nutritious food. For generations, we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers. Connect with and learn more about Western Growers on our Twitter and Facebook.

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