Custom Organic and Conventional Vegetable Growing in the Desert Region

March 16th, 2021

Director Profile: J.P. LaBrucherie, LaBrucherie Produce, El Centro, CA

By Tim Linden

It was in 1911 that Jean Pierre LaBrucherie emigrated from France and came to California’s Imperial Valley. He started a dairy farm and grew alfalfa and other forage crops. His son, Matthew, added a vegetable operation in the 1950s, raised cattle and started a hay export company. The next generation was led by Tim, who expanded their vegetable presence, and continued to build the produce operation on what was then called LaBrucherie Ranch.

Though highly educated with a degree in accounting from the University of Southern California and a law degree from Notre Dame University, J.P. LaBrucherie, who shares his great grandfather’s name, had no doubt at an early age that he was going to follow the lead of three generations before him and become a farmer. He went straight from USC to Notre Dame and then worked at the multinational professional service firm Deloitte to achieve his CPA hours. Along the way, he passed the California Bar Exam and then came back to the farm to work. The path he took was very similar to that of his father, who also earned an accounting degree and a law degree, at USC and Stanford, respectively.

J.P. started full time in 2003, with vegetable production being his main area of concern. He and his father have further emphasized production agriculture, creating LaBrucherie Produce LLC, as the company’s moniker in 2011. They have grown many different crops over the years, with lettuces, baby leaf items, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, corn, carrots and melons being the core items. Of late, more focus and acreage has been placed growing all these crops organically. J.P. said the company has always focused its energies on the growing end of the business, leaving the marketing and sales to its shipper partners. LaBrucherie Produce’s website touts its standing as a contract grower working with many different clients producing the top-quality vegetables that fit best into the shipper’s program, noting that each client has “unique opportunities and challenges in the marketplace.”

When interviewed by Western Grower & Shipper seven years ago, J.P. was involved in the decision-making process, but he was sure that his father would follow in the footsteps of the two generations that preceded him. “The way we have operated is that each generation works until they die and then the next generation takes over,” he joked at that time.

Today, J.P. is the president and runs the operation, while Tim still maintains an important role as CFO and is still quite involved at 74. J.P. emphasized that each generation has grown the business, and he is doing the same. He is hopeful that one of his three children will follow the farming path, but he will not pressure them into the business. He added that farming is a great occupation, but you must truly love it to do it right.

The LaBrucherie operation has been a member of Western Growers for 65 years, with the membership coinciding with the advent of its vegetable operation in the 1950s. Matt LaBrucherie served as a member of the Western Growers Board of Directors for three different terms in the 1960s and ’70s.

The Short & Sweet

Name: J.P. LaBrucherie

Title: President of LaBrucherie Produce

Namesake: Great Grandfather Jean Pierre LaBrucherie started the El Centro farm in 1911

Family: J.P. and his wife, Stephanie, have three children: Ashley, 16; Timothy, 14; and Matthew, 11.

College Rivalry: J.P. earned his undergraduate degree at USC and his law degree from Notre Dame. “I love both schools and I win each time they play.”

Proud Accomplishment: “I am an Eagle Scout and attended the 17th World Scout Jamboree in South Korea in 1991.”

Great Trips: “I love to travel. My favorite trip was to India. I went there in 1997 and 2001.”

Relaxation Time: “I binge watch television most nights. Yellowstone is a show I like a lot.”

Hobby: “I like to jog and spend time with the family.”

Fun Fact: “I met and fell in love with my wife in the accounting school at USC. And then we both went to Notre Dame as I earned my law degree and she earned an MBA.” They have been married 18 years.

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The New Faces of Ag: Young Farmers Making a Difference

March 17th, 2021

By Stephanie Metzinger, Communications Manager

The United States is currently undergoing an extreme societal shift, as Baby Boomers (U.S. adults born 1946 to 1964) continue to retire and Millennials (born 1981 to 1996) have now become the largest generation in the labor force. According to the Pew Research Center, in the third quarter of 2020, about 28.6 million Baby Boomers reported that they were out of the labor force due to retirement. This is 3.2 million more Boomers than the 25.4 million who were retired in the same quarter of 2019.

As the pace of retirement for Baby Boomers continues to accelerate, companies need a strong workforce plan for replacing exiting workers. Western Growers (WG) is dedicated to helping member farmers cultivate the next generation of agricultural leaders to ensure a smooth transition.

Ten years ago, WG rolled out the first program in a string of strategic initiatives geared toward arming the future workforce with the skills and knowledge needed to become influential leaders in the specialty crop industry. The Future Volunteer Leaders Program launched with a mission to identify and prepare the next generation of WG members for positions of leadership within the Western fresh produce industry. Over the course of two years, participants of the program engage in a series of hands-on activities that allow them to become well versed in federal, state and local issues affecting agriculture as well as burgeoning industry opportunities such as agtech development.

The Future Volunteer Leaders Program inaugurated its sixth class in February 2020, and for the first time in program history, it welcomed a young leader from Colorado. Since the program’s inception, seven alumni have graduated into a seat on the WG Board of Directors: Brandon Grimm (Grimmway Farms); Eric Reiter (Reiter Affiliated Companies); Kelly Strickland (Five Crowns Marketing); J.P. LaBrucherie (LaBrucherie Produce); Neill Callis (Turlock Fruit Company); Stephen Martori (Martori Farms); and Alex Muller (Pasquinelli Produce Company).

“When I started in the Future Volunteer Leaders Program, I was the food safety manager, and in the few years since graduating, I have become the president at Pasquinelli Produce,” said Muller, who also serves on WG’s current 2021-2022 board. “During my time in the program, I got to sit at the table and hear from and communicate with industry leaders. Some of the discussions I recall having span topics from E. coli outbreak response, the ever-changing world of H-2A, the perceptions of GMOs, to balancing family life in a demanding industry.”

Muller notes how one of the most impactful activities from the program was his interactions with Karen Timmins (WG senior vice president, Human Resources) while learning how to elevate his company and workforce through the principles of the Arbinger Institute.

“I believe that if you build a strong and healthy work environment, employees will see Pasquinelli as an extension of their own personal success. At the end of the day, we are a family business and we never want to lose sight of that,” said Muller.

To further develop the agricultural workforce, Muller has also introduced students to the various careers offered at Pasquinelli through the WG’s rising career pathways program, Careers in Ag (CIA).

To fill the agricultural workforce gap, WG launched the CIA program in 2016 to encourage college students to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers within the agricultural industry. As part of the program, college students embark on three-day tours of agricultural and technology operations in Monterey County, the Central Valley, and the Coachella and Imperial valleys and Yuma, Arizona. Throughout the tour, they learn about the vast array of STEM jobs available in the industry, meet ag professionals who provide career insight and guidance, and connect with Western Growers members to possibly pursue an internship or job within their operation.

More than 250 students from UC Davis, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State L.A., Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Fresno State and numerous California community colleges have participated in the program to date, with several having been placed in internships and jobs as a direct result of the program.

“The Careers in Ag Program reinforced my desire to work in the ag industry,” said Anahi Huerta. Huerta, who participated in the program’s December 2018 tour while attending UC Davis as a managerial economics major, was offered a food safety coordinator position at Prime Time International shortly after graduation.

She has been part of the Prime Time team for nearly a year now, coordinating compliance paperwork and customer requests. Before she participated in the Careers in Ag Program, Huerta had not considered a career in food safety.

“I remember visiting a lettuce field being harvested, being handed a hairnet, and the food safety lady began speaking on the importance of food safety practices,” said Huerta. “It was my first experience with the subject and the complexity of it interested me. To this day, every time I see a lettuce field, I reminisce on that moment and the knowledge I learned.”

To help provide other young women such as Huerta with the tools needed to pursue leadership positions within agriculture, WG recently rolled out the WG Women program. WG Women prepares females for positions of leadership by providing them access to a series of ongoing activities—both virtual and regionally-based—aimed at supporting professional growth and paving the way for influential leadership opportunities within the fresh produce industry.

WG Women, which launched in February 2020, was created for women farmers by women farmers. To ensure that the program was tailor-made for women in production agriculture, WG staff teamed with a steering committee comprised of 10 female farmers from across the industry to help build the program.

Briana Giampaoli, a fourth-generation farmer at Live Oak Farms, who was a member of this influential steering committee, said, “When I was approached by Western Growers with this opportunity, I knew that I could not only aid in creating a program with a mission to help women throughout the organization, but it would also be a great opportunity for me to learn from other women in the industry.”

Giampaoli was among the first to officially apply for the program. As a staunch advocate for women in agriculture, she noticed the program’s potential from the beginning and believed it to be a chance to create a community for women in the agricultural industry to collaborate, learn and share their experiences.

“Programs like WG Women are giving individuals the tools to move the industry forward in a positive way,” said Giampaoli. “I have always believed you can’t tell someone to do something and always expect it to happen. You must give the person the tools that are needed for the job and then there is no excuse for it not to be accomplished. WG Women is giving women in ag the tools to become leaders within the industry.”

Though WG Women had to pivot to a virtual format due to COVID-19, participants of the program are still immersed in impactful activities including: mentorship, networking, leadership training, political advocacy, community outreach, and consumer advocacy such as traditional and social media training.

“The trainings have not only helped identify my strengths, but also how to develop the skills to best play into those strengths. They were all very informative and relatable for me as a woman in ag and a leader in the industry,” Giampaoli stated.

The WG Women program, along with the Future Volunteer Leaders and Careers in Ag programs, is not only playing a critical role in filling the looming skills gap but is producing young farmers who are making a difference. By providing the next generation with the skills needed to both innovate and fight for the industry, these strategic initiatives are ensuring the sustainability and survival of agriculture.

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Future Water Supply Elicits Some Optimism But Cuts Appear Inevitable

March 17th, 2021

By Tim Linden

Water has long been listed as one of the two most important elements when considering the future of California farming. Agricultural experts often put it at the top of the list or sometimes in second place with labor issues edging it out.

There is some optimism about the labor situation moving forward as there appears to be momentum for federal immigration reform with the new administration and there is also a lot of technological innovation that promises to reduce the need for labor with automation. But what about water? What are the prospects that future generations of California farmers will have a reliable water supply and an affordable rate?

Gail Delihant, who is senior director of California Government Affairs for Western Growers with water issues in her portfolio, said that is the question that farmers need answered. It is the $64,000 question. She said Western Growers members are of course interested in the details. Will there be new above-ground storage facilities built? How much groundwater will they be able to use? Will there be new conveyance infrastructure to get more water through and around the Delta? What environmental hurdles need to be jumped? But at the end of the day, she said it boils down to cost and availability.

WG&S discussed this basic question with more than a handful of players in the California water game including several water district representatives and water association executives. What emerged was a consensus that the current effort to forestall regulatory action by signing 15-year Voluntary Agreements between governmental agencies and the water districts to provide water for habitat restoration while studying that effort is critical to moving forward. Virtually all of those interviewed also expressed guarded optimism that new infrastructure will be part of the long-range solution and that production agriculture will always be part of the California landscape. However, there appeared to be a realization that some productive farmland—including a significant amount in the San Joaquin Valley—will have to be transitioned to other uses or fallowed as part of the solution. There was also disagreement about just how positive a spin one should put on the prospects of supply certainty if it means further reductions. Should the proverbial half-full glass of water be celebrated or bemoaned.

Following are the boiled down viewpoints of seven water experts. They are presented here in the order in which the interview occurred, denoting no bias of importance of the affiliation.

Jennifer Pierre, general manager, State Water Contractors

The SWC is a voluntary association of 27 of the 29 public water agencies that are State Water Project contractors. The association provides representation for the group concerning legal, policy and regulatory matters dealing with the project. Pierre said SWC is moving down many different parallel tracks with the ultimate goal of preserving and increasing the water supply of its members, which, in turn, serve agriculture and urban users alike. She said the group is focused on many areas including infrastructure changes and improvements, better managements of water flow using sound science to guide those decisions, and increasing Delta outflow.

Concerning the Delta, Pierre presented a viewpoint early in the discussion that was echoed by virtually every interviewee: the current system of managing water through the Delta simply doesn’t work. It reduces the flow of water for agriculture and other users, increases the amount of used water that flows out to the Pacific Ocean, and has had no beneficial effect on fish populations. It’s a lose, lose, lose.

She focused much of the interview on the Voluntary Agreements work that SWA and water agencies have been working on for more than a year. “We’ve done a ton of work and are now ready for the state to take a leadership role.”

Pierre explained that if the state and federal agencies sign off on this approach, the voluntary agreements will create a collaborative system to managing the flow in and out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta. The goal is that sound science and creative thinking will replace “the complete spaghetti bowl of litigation” that is in the works. The State Water Quality Control Board would be one of the agencies accepting the negotiated voluntary agreements in lieu of its mandatory regulations. The goal is that a 15-year plan can be put in place and carefully studied while assuring that State Water Project contractors of some certainty concerning the amount of water they will get each year, based on availability.

Pierre would like to see the initial framework endorsed soon so that the hard work of hammering out the details can begin and conclude as soon as the end of 2021. She admits the devil will be in the details but the alternative is not sustainable and that is that two million acre-feet of water be used to flow through the delta and out to sea for a fish benefit that has not been scientifically vetted. She admits that how much water is needed for habitat restoration is unknown, but the voluntary agreements will call for the water agencies to deliver a specific amount of water for that purpose. In the initial framework 700,000 acre-feet in aggregate has been proposed.

She said the long term goal would be to have another 15-year plan in place long before this one would expire, which would be based on the learnings over the coming years. Pierre expressed a high degree of optimism that “relatively soon,” the approach will be approved by state and federal officials and that a deal will be reached by the end of 2021.

Brent Walthall, assistant general manager, Kern County Water Agency

KWCA was created in 1961 to serve as the local contracting entity for the State Water Project.

Walthall takes a pragmatic view of the future of water for California agriculture. He said regardless of the source of the water, regulators are in charge of what a farmer will receive. In recent years, they have tightened supplies and he does not expect that trend to be reversed. Consequently, he believes the focus should be on dealing with regulators and their rules and try to exact some certainty to future supplies so that growers can plan accordingly. “Anything we can do to add stability to our supplies is worth pursuing,” he said, adding that he knows it’s a herculean task, but if farmers are given certainty they will adapt.

The Kern County water specialist is optimistic that the long-awaited 2019 biological opinions (Endangered Species Act permits) with respect to the operation of California’s federal water projects will be put into place and will be the regulations by which water providers are guided. Biological opinions are to federal projects as incidental intake permits are to the State Water Project. In each case, the document informs how the flow of water impacts endangered species and informs the flow amount.

Walthall believes the 2019 biological opinions were the result of sound science. He called them “pretty fair and down the middle,” meaning that they equally balanced the position of environmentalists versus that of water providers and users. While his opinion of the biological opinions might be fairly representative of the constituency he represents, those opinions were widely criticized by the environmental community, and the state of California sued the federal government to block their implementation. Walthall is hopeful that the biological opinions will be upheld by the Biden Administration’s water regulators and litigation can be averted. He expressed some level of confidence that the competing stakeholders can work this out administratively now that there is not such adversarial relationship between California officials and federal officials.

While the biological opinions are an entity of themselves, they would be part of any voluntary agreements reached between the water agencies and government officials. Again, Walthall said reaching an agreement is critical as it will lead to at least a 10-15 year period of water stability, which he believes is golden. With a water stable environment, he believes it is possible to move forward on some water infrastructure efforts including delta conveyance and the Sites Reservoir project. “If both of those things happen, the future will look much better for agricultural production,” he said.

He did add that a very important part of the equation is the ultimate cost of any project and if it can deliver water at an economically viable rate. He did express optimism about the public’s appetite to support water bonds, noting that they have typically passed such bonds.

 

Thomas Birmingham, general manager, Westlands Water District

Westlands serves farmers and rural communities on the westside of Fresno and King counties and is the largest provider to water to agricultural users in the state.

“There isn’t any question that water supply for agriculture is a significant challenge,” he said repeating an oft-heard comment from all the experts. “Over the last three decades, there has been a significant reallocation from agricultural use to environmental use.”

Birmingham expects that trend to continue with the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). “As much as 20% of the land in the San Joaquin Valley will have to be fallowed to comply with the requirements of SGMA.”

But he believes there is potential hope on the horizon as he also points to the 2019 biological opinions and believes the reliance on real-time monitoring is a step forward. He said if all sides are serious about protecting endangered species a new approach must emerge as the one being used for a generation has not been successful. Birmingham is also optimistic that the voluntary agreements will be the path forward offering stability for farmers and breathing room so the best available science can be utilized to logically balance the needs of people with those of endangered species. He noted that if large amounts of land have to be fallowed, the economic impact on California will hit heaviest on disadvantaged communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley. He said a UC Berkeley report estimated that California could take a $7.2 billion hit to its economy with 42,000 ag-related jobs being lost.

He said the voluntary agreements represent a collaborative rather than regulatory approach and expressed confidence that state, federal agencies, environmentalists and business stakeholders will be able to reach an accord. In early February, he expressed optimism that “within a matter of weeks” the industry would be able to present its work to the government agencies and create a framework to move forward on those agreements.

Birmingham also expressed optimism that there will be new infrastructure projects to help California agriculture on the supply. He ticked off several on-going projects that Westlands is involved in—including on with the Friant Water Authority—that will increase water availability. He also took a holistic view of the future of California agriculture. “California farmers can produce greater yields with fewer inputs than any other farmers in the world.”

He said it is a matter of national security that we produce our own food and he indicated that that fact will carry weight at the end of the day. “There are real challenges but there are real solution,” he opined.

Jason Phillips, CEO, Friant Water Authority

Friant maintains the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal, 36-mile Madera Canal, Friant Dam, and Millerton Lake.

Phillips was the least optimistic of all those interviewed. Like others, he believes the voluntary agreements do offer a path forward but he said that path has been meandering in the same directions for decades, which means less water for agriculture. “The problem that I have seen over the last 20 years is that California water agencies, which are run by hired help, are continually forced to cut deals that in the short term give up water supplies with no long-term supply commitment.”

He said these five-, 10- and 15-year deals may look good to water agency staff, but farmers, who often trace their roots back many generations, need to take a longer view…and it doesn’t exist. “We may have to agree to a deal even if it’s not a particularly good deal. Once again, they have their guns to our heads,” he said talking metaphorically about those who don’t have agriculture’s best interest at heart.

Phillips reminded that this latest voluntary agreement effort replaces a joint plan that was submitted by the water industry to regulators in 2018. “We (Friant board) unanimously supported that because it was good for our member agencies and it limited the losses. But it was not adopted by the State Water Control Board. Now we’re back again. Whatever is agreed to, it is guaranteed it will be worse for farmers.”

He is not certain the Friant board will support such an agreement. But Phillips admits the alternative is a cadre of lawyers in courts filing litigation and spending money that could be better used improving the water supply. Phillips believes that farmers, who ultimately pay that bill, must engage in this fight to secure their own future. “We need to lock in supplies for 50 years, not just 15,” he said.

The Friant executive does support a collaborative approach but he said it needs to think longer term and with regulatory lock-in of supplies and committed political leadership. He said if that can occur, growers can move forward with certainty and help plan California’s agricultural future. He does not believe solving the state’s water issues are a top priority for California’s political leaders, which informs his lack of optimism moving forward. He said it has become conventional wisdom that San Joaquin Valley has to reduce its agricultural acreage by a significant amount. Phillips believes that viewpoint represents failure.

“We need the support of the farming community to get the governor or the next governor to partner with us to create water balance,” he said.

David Guy, president, Northern California Water Association

NCWA represents water districts, water companies, small towns, rural communities and landowners that use both surface and groundwater resources in the Sacramento Valley.

Guy focused his remarks on what he called a “game changer” and that is reactivating the flood plains in Sacramento Valley as the best place to re-invigorate fish and wildlife populations. “I feel we have an opportunity to re-imagine our water system,” he said.

He is taking the approach that improving fish and wildlife habitat is not at odds with increasing water supplier for agriculture and other users. He is basically arguing that the Sacramento Valley is the best place to accomplish that task, which could arguably reduce the need for mitigation efforts in the Delta. In fact, NWCA is moving forward on this project and he said preliminary results are that only a few inches of water in the flood plains creates a plethora of bugs that allow for fish and wildlife to proliferate in the area. Salmon, for example, can then move downstream in huge numbers. He claims to have substantial buy-in on this plan for environmental groups. “This will improve the salmon population and take pressure off of ag water suppliers,” he said.

As Guy looks down the road, he sees positives for his member agencies and users. He believes Sites Reservoir is an incredible asset for agriculture that will also provide water for environmental uses. He adds that flood plain reactivation can lead to more water being available to recharge ground water aquifers. He calls the voluntary agreements the mechanism to bring all these activities together and work toward solving California’s water problem. He believes the 15-year length of those agreements will allow his group and others to prove their theories and sign longer agreements.

Back to flood plain reactivation, Guy calls it’s the “transformative piece” with no downside.

Weighing in on the future of ag in California, he believes there is no alternative path. He said the three elements of life are land, water and sun of which California has an abundance. He takes it as gospel that others do an will embrace this reality and agriculture will continue to thrive.

Thad Bettner, general manager, Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District

Glenn-Colusa is the largest irrigation district in Sacramento Valley.

Bettner declares he is optimistic about agriculture’s future in California but at the same time, he said he does not see expansion and even maintaining the status quo will be a challenge. But he thinks the future is brighter than it was 10 years ago. He said SGMA, which was passed in 2014, gives growers in his service area some level of knowledge that they did not have before. They can plan for the future, though he does expect some ag land throughout the state to be converted to other uses. But he argued that some of those uses will offer a return such as solar fields and even getting paid for converting land for environmental use. He also admitted that is optimism for the future of agriculture in his district is guided by the fact that more water falls in his district than in other regions of the state.

Bettner does believe the flood plain reactivation could provide some relief to water providers as it could alleviate some pressure on restoration of habitats in other areas. He also firmly supports the voluntary agreements path has a way to give some certainty for at least 15 years. He said the process allows all side to come together and prioritize needs in a give and take manner. “That is what we (water providers) do every day. We manage trade-offs.”

He added that the process is at a significant cross-road. “This is a pretty significant point of time. We either go in this direction or we head down a regulatory path, which doesn’t help the environment. It is our opinion that it is now up to the state to start moving this. Governor Newsom needs to put someone in charge of it.”

Bettner said his optimism for the future of California agriculture is also driven by the investment community. “People are investing lots of money,” he said. “They must believe there is a path forward.”

He also advocated for more involvement by farmers. “Landowners have to be engaged,” he said, adding that he is buoyed by the new generation of college-educated farmers who do want to be more involved.

Jeff Kightlinger, general manager,  Metropolitan Water District

Los Angeles-based MWD is the largest water provider in the state with most of its users being urban dwellers but it does service several ag community in the Southland.

Kightlinger did acknowledge that the state and agriculture is facing many water challenges for a variety of reasons. He listed climate change as one of the biggest challenges. MWD gets its water from two sources: the Rockies through the Colorado River and the Sierras through the state and federal California water projects. The Rockies, he said, are definitely experiencing a cut back in precipitation, which means less water in the Colorado River. He said the change in the Sierras appears to be less snowpack and more rainfall. That reality, he said has to be managed with more storage and better conveyance. He indicated these two issues can be solved but it’s going to take money. At the present time, he indicated urban dwellers are feeling an acute need and so they don’t appear to be willing to subsidize expensive infrastructure projects. Agriculture has the need but the cost could be prohibitive.

He said the past three California governors have said they want to address California’s water situation but none have given that topic the priority status it needs to accomplish the task. Kightlinger and MWD have been materially involved in the voluntary agreements path and believes that direction is a necessity, largely to give stakeholders an additional 15 years to focus on the bigger picture, which is the infrastructure that is sorely needed. Like others, he believes the ball is in Governor Newsom’s court and will take his involvement to get over the hump and make the voluntary agreements a necessity. “The water community has put together a credible approach, but we have gone about as far as we can go.”

He admits that signing on to the voluntary path is not without its risk to the governor as he will take flak from some in the environmental community, which is one of his natural constituencies.

Speaking specifically of agriculture as a very knowledgeable observer of the state’s water situation, said the industry does have its challenges. Agriculture, he said, does have to deal with SGMA, which will reduce availability of ground water. He indicated agriculture is going to need new infrastructure to survive without severe acreage cutbacks. He did say the construction of Sites Reservoir as well as the expansion of several other reservoirs are viable projects that will help the water supply over time.

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Newsom’s 30×30 Executive Order to Tighten Climate Management

March 17th, 2021

In an effort to further combat climate change and habitat loss, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on October 7, 2020, directing state agencies to accelerate actions to battle climate change, protect biodiversity and build resilience through nature-based solutions. The order establishes a state goal of conserving at least 30% of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030 to address the biodiversity and climate crisis.

How the 30×30 Executive Order Affects Agriculture

The order elevates the role of natural and working lands (in other words, agriculture) as a key pillar of California’s climate change strategy.

It commits the state to:

  • immediate actions to increase carbon removal;
  • enhance resilience in our forests, wetlands, agricultural soils, urban greenspaces and land conservation efforts;
  • developing a comprehensive and equitable long-term strategy to drive climate action on all of California’s natural and working lands; and
  • articulating a target for the lands sector in the 2022 Scoping Plan to achieve our carbon neutrality target.

As part of the order, Governor Newsom established the California Biodiversity Collaborative—a group comprised of experts, leaders and communities who will develop a unified approach to protecting biodiversity. He has also directed the California Natural Resources Agency to work with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the California Environmental Protection Agency and other state agencies to bring together leading experts from across California to “advance a unified, comprehensive approach to protecting our state’s biodiversity.” Collectively, these diverse groups will work to inventory current efforts across all sectors as well as expand information and tools to monitor, track and preserve the numerous species of plants and animals.

Newsom’s executive order also directed the agencies to advance strategies to conserve at least 30% of California’s land and waters by 2030 in a manner that preserves biodiversity and natural resources, expands equitable outdoor lands and recreation for all Californians and maintains our state’s economic prosperity. The order calls on state agencies to establish an international model for preserving biodiversity and expand current efforts to keep ecosystems, plants and animals healthy.

Because this mandate will have broad, sweeping changes on how California manages its natural resources, Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia recently teamed with California Fresh Fruit Association President Ian LeMay and California Apple Commission Executive Director Todd Sanders to send a letter to the governor expressing serious concern for this potentially far-reaching executive order.

“Our immediate concern is that despite frequent reassurances that you desire a true partnership with our industry, there was no outreach or discussion in the development of this EO. Farmers are the experts in land management and climate resilience due to the fact that their livelihoods and the livelihoods of their employees and entire communities depend upon it. Their voices are important in the development of policy goals, not to mention in implementation,” Puglia, LeMay and Sanders wrote in the letter. 

Of California’s approximately 100 million acres of land, 43 million acres are used for agriculture. Of this, 27 million acres are cropland and 16 million acres are grazing land. Needless to say, agriculture will play a significant role in this enormous effort of “truing up” current and future management practices that sequester carbon, reduces atmospheric greenhouse gases, improves soil health, crop protection best practices and irrigation and nutrient management.

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Water Markets in California Can Reduce the Costs of Drought

March 17th, 2021

By Ellen Hanak

California’s increasingly volatile warming climate is making droughts more intense, and complicating water management. A just-launched commodity futures market for the state’s water provides a new tool for farmers, municipalities and other interested parties to ensure against water price shocks arising from drought-fueled shortages.

Taking a Wall Street approach to an essential natural resource has prompted both fear and hype. Will California experience a new Gold Rush in water? Will speculation boost the cost of water? Perhaps both the fear and the hype are unwarranted.

To address the fear: this new market doesn’t allow hoarding or moving water out of the state. In fact, it doesn’t involve real water at all. It’s strictly a financial tool that allows participants to bet on the future price of water in California. Water users can lock in a price they are willing to pay. And although this market will also be open to investors, their involvement won’t change the amount of water that’s available in California or the price at which it’s ultimately sold. Crucially, the futures market won’t disrupt protections already in place to ensure actual water trades are done responsibly.

As for the hype, this new tool won’t alter the facts of California’s essential water challenges. The promise it brings is in helping water users manage the financial risk of droughts. Those who guess correctly about dry years and rising prices can then sell their shares for more than they paid and use the profits to buy actual water at those higher prices. In dry years, this market could also enable farmers who locked in a lower price to use their profits to cover some of the costs of fallowing farmland—like a type of weather insurance. Participants can also lose money in years when the rains are better and water ends up being cheaper than expected—like paying for insurance but not making a claim.

While this new tool may help manage the financial risk of droughts, the more important work ahead is to strengthen the state’s actual water market. Water trading has been an important management tool for several decades—helping cities, farms and environmental water managers meet evolving demands in our variable climate. Trading still makes up a relatively small share of total water use—about 4%. Yet it brings much-needed flexibility to California’s system of water rights, which determines how much water is allocated and where it is used.

The rights to use water in California were allocated decades ago, when the region had far fewer people and a very different economy. This first-come, first-served approach is simply too rigid to ensure that water is available to meet the most essential needs—especially during droughts. By compensating those with long-standing water rights for moving water to activities and places where the lack of water will be more costly, trading encourages partnerships and cooperation in the sustainable management of this vital resource.

Expanding trading can help California adapt to growing water scarcity. For example, we found that expanded trading could reduce the costs of ending excess groundwater use by about 60% in the San Joaquin Valley, protecting jobs for thousands of low-income families while ensuring that groundwater remains available for future generations.

Improving the fundamentals of the actual water market will require a combination of smarter regulation and infrastructure investments.

Smart regulation can facilitate flexibility while providing essential protections. Trading is subject to regulatory oversight because moving water from one place to another can harm other water users and the environment. But right now, the approval process is fragmented and inconsistent, with different rules for different types of water rights and agencies. A top priority is improving information about how much can be safely traded in different places. In addition, developing transparent water trading platforms is key to building buy-in for new types of groundwater trading in farming regions.

Smart infrastructure is about identifying cost-effective improvements in storage and conveyance networks to make it easier to move water between buyers and sellers. This matters not only during droughts, but also during wetter years, so that parties can bank water for each other in underground aquifers to prepare for future droughts.

Water trading can help manage growing water scarcity in ways that benefit the economy and the environment. Most importantly, trading encourages cooperative solutions, which are essential for addressing the challenges of adapting to the changing climate.

(Ellen Hanak is an economist and director of the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center, [email protected].  This article was originally published in CalMatters. It is reprinted here with permission.)

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Western Ag United in Adding Water to Infrastructure Bill

March 17th, 2021

As we start the new Biden Administration, water policy and water infrastructure hold a prominent position. President Biden has indicated that he is concerned about job growth because of COVID’s impact. With so many Americans out of work or underemployed he wants to jump start the economy and believes an infrastructure bill can help do that.

President Biden also believes that a major infrastructure push is critical to addressing the challenge of China having recently said: “If we don’t get going moving, they’re going to eat our lunch.”

Finally, President Biden hopes that the infrastructure package can also lead to building an America that is more climate friendly. Indeed, President Biden has begun to meet with Congressional leaders on constructing a bipartisan infrastructure package and we expect the White House to make an announcement on the details they would like to see by March.

As a result, Western Growers has been working with national partners for months to bring together a coalition across the entire Western United States. We believe that it is absolutely critical to ensure that water is included in any infrastructure package that moves this Congress. More than 200 organizations—agricultural groups, rural water districts and urban water providers—signed a letter and are now working together to push Western Congressional and Senate leaders on this issue. We are all interested in seeing significant resources being allocated to water as part of this infrastructure push. Money to repair existing infrastructure that is crumbling, money to conserve water, money for new water conveyance, money for green infrastructure and money for conventional steel and concrete infrastructure storage are what we are pushing to see included. We believe an infrastructure package will move over the spring and early summer. The group is optimistic that we will be able to include significant new resources for water infrastructure in the infrastructure package.

The Biden Administration has frozen and is reviewing a host of regulations that the Trump Administration put into place concerning water. During the last several years, the Trump Administration has brought forward many regulations that are helpful in moving water through existing infrastructure or is helpful in pushing existing projects forward. For example, the biological opinion that the Obama Administration ordered for the species that impact the Delta pumps in California was brought to completion by the Trump Administration. The resulting biological opinion has been hailed by water users as providing additional flexibility resulting in more water deliveries but criticized by environmental groups (indeed they have brought a lawsuit against the opinion). That biological opinion has been ordered to be reviewed by the new administration. If the Biden Administration moves against the Trump decision, then we would see yet another lengthy biological opinion process (the last one took two and half years or so to complete) with a result that surely would be challenged in court by whichever side loses. This is one example of many. Given these uncertainties, we will be working to preserve as many of the Trump regulations and decisions as we can.

The advent of the Biden Administration brings both hope and challenges for Western water. With respect to legislation, we are hopeful that new resources can be brought to bear—every Western Growers state needs more money for water from the Rio Grande in New Mexico to the Colorado River basin that feeds Colorado, Arizona and Southern California agriculture to the Central Valley and beyond. Drought is never far from growers’ thoughts. We are hopeful that an infrastructure package will include some potential relief on the water front, but we are cautious about challenges that producers face with potential new regulations and the rollback of existing decisions.

For many growers, those regulatory decisions are the critical factor that determines their water delivery on an annual basis. The Western Growers federal government affairs staff is mindful of that and we will be just as diligent on the regulatory front as we are in trying to secure new sources of water.

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Uncharted Waters: Five Points to Know about the Ongoing Port Crisis

March 17th, 2021

By Tracey Chow, Government Affairs Specialist

The COVID-19 pandemic has foisted new challenges onto producers with foreign-bound exports. Since late 2020, the global shipping system has been dealing with skyrocketing demand for cargo containers, extreme port congestion, and higher shipping costs. Many industry veterans have described the conditions as ‘unprecedented,’ while others have compared it to the infamous labor dispute-related port slowdown in 2014. In the West, countless agricultural exporters that rely on the gateway ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland to reach customers overseas are straining to adjust.

Why is this happening?

The abrupt global economic slowdown and subsequent ramp up created a perfect storm of conditions in the ocean supply chain. Consumer demand on both sides of the Pacific Ocean has tied up significant container space, especially as it comingled with typical holiday surges and peak shipping seasons for products like tree nuts and citrus. COVID-impacted labor constraints at the terminals continue to slow ship loading and unloading. Additionally, the sheer economic weight and demand from China has made bringing in imports far more lucrative for shipping lines than moving out exports, making for an expensive environment for agricultural exporters to compete. This has also led to carriers opting to ship more empty containers back to Asia at the expense of leaving U.S. agricultural shipments stranded.

This is reflected in recent port statistics. From July to December, Los Angeles/Long Beach ports loaded inbound containers rose 19% compared to in 2019. Empty outbound container volumes rose as well, by 23%. In contrast, outbound loaded volumes fell 4% year-on-year.

What is the impact?

Throughout this period, perishable commodity shippers have encountered several types of problems. For some, the challenge is eating higher freight costs or spending more time finding cargo appointments. It is battling to get accurate status updates from carriers or terminals on when and where to take outbound product. Others are seeing less bookings being accepted, and existing bookings being delayed or cancelled with no re-booking, even as empty containers continue to ship out. Additionally, carriers continue to questionably impose costly congestion-related surcharges and detention/demurrage (D&D) fees. The egregious use of D&D fees, as well as the many reports of empty containers, have become concerning enough that the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), which has jurisdiction over maritime shipping, launched an investigation to determine if these practices are violating existing shipping law.

Looking ahead, the fallout of the current crisis may impact overseas buyers’ confidence in U.S. products for months to come. The logistical unreliability undercuts our export-reliant commodities that are seeking to regain lost overseas markets. There is growing concern that carriers will continue to push the envelope with their questionable practices, even after this immediate crunch is over.

When will it end?

This situation remains fluid with no clear end in sight. We may not see relief until June or even mid-fall.

What is Western Growers doing?

As was done during the 2014 slowdown, Western Growers is proactively engaging with state and federal agencies on the crisis’s impact on its members. WG is working with the broader agricultural transportation community to elevate the issue with Congress and the Biden Administration. While there is no silver bullet solution, we support FMC’s investigation and have publicly urged it to clamp down on D&D fees and ensure more timely notifications from carriers.

What can exporters do?

For our exporting members, we reiterate that these conditions are not expected to dissipate quickly, and we encourage you to remain diligent in planning ahead and consider the following actions:

•  Closely review carrier agreements for equipment type and availability, free time, early return dates, and (if applicable) D&D stipulations. Communicate early as possible with carrier representatives about their shipment schedule for the upcoming weeks.

•  Be as flexible as possible with container type. For example, 20-foot containers are in short supply for some ocean carriers, but they may be able to offer 40-foot or dry reefer containers.

•  Communicate early with drayage carriers (e.g. truckers) about equipment needed and delivery dates. Some may have street turn agreements and can assist with equipment type requirements.

•  If you are encountering questionable or problematic carrier behaviors, please reach out to WG, as there may be an opportunity to elevate concerns directly to the FMC.

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Meet Your Future Volunteer Leaders: Tracy Jones

March 17th, 2021

Tracy Jones

Chief Operating Officer/Senior Vice President of Sales, Booth Ranches

Since graduating from Fresno State in 2002, Tracy has been a force to be reckoned with in the agricultural industry. She started in packing and shipping and has since excelled in various sales and marketing positions within this industry. Providing good produce and collaborating with good people has been her inspiration through the years. Working at notorious companies such as Booth Ranches, Ballantine Produce and Gerawan Farming are among many of the accomplishments of which Tracy is proud. She currently serves on the Marketing Committee and Communications Committee for California Citrus Mutual and is an active volunteer with organizations within her community.

When not working or volunteering, Tracy enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys and pursuing numerous hobbies. Journey with Tracy as she shares some of her favorite activities!

  • Any spare moment I have is spent with my boys! My best memories are made with them.
  • I love baking. I try new recipes all the time. Lately, I’ve been trying to make bread. During the holidays, I’m always assigned the dessert table!
  • My favorite hobby is photography. I mostly take portraits and family photos; however, I have done a few weddings and other major events. I love composing the different shots and chasing the best light and feeling.
  • For the last 17 years I have had the amazing opportunity to travel the world for work. I’ve attended many food shows, and some of my favorite memories include traveling to Japan and Korea where we were able to go sightseeing.
  • Living in a house full of boys, we decided to get a girl dog so I wouldn’t be so outnumbered! Her name is P.B. (princess bubblegum) and she is a Whoodle. She is fluffy, loving and definitely my dog.

Tracy is one of nine individuals selected to be in Class 6 of the Future Volunteer Leaders, a program that guides the next generation of leaders within Western Growers member companies interested in becoming more informed and effective advocates for the fresh produce industry.

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Meet your Future Volunteer Leaders: Mason Brady

March 17th, 2021

Mason Brady

Chief Financial Officer/Director of Supply Chain, Homegrown Organic Farms

Mason is a finance and operations leader who is part of the knockout team producing some of the best organic produce on the planet. Prior to joining Homegrown Organic Farms, he worked as operations manager for Pro Citrus Network as well as in Chile for a fresh produce distribution firm. Mason has obtained several technical certifications and designations, including Certified Management Accountant, Data Analytics & Visualization, Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst and Financial Planning and Analysis Professional. He earned his B.A. in Business Management from Fresno Pacific University and his MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain.

Apart from his professional life, Mason is a big family man! Most of the photos on the camera roll in his phone are of him with his wife and two little girls. He absolutely loves being a husband and dad.

Journey with Mason as he shares a select few and tells us a little bit more about his life…

• I grew up in a family of all boys and each of my brothers have all boys as well, so my little girls are literally my princesses.

• I am the proud papa to a Corgi named Lily. In the days of working from home, she is the greatest foot warmer.

• I love being outdoors. Fishing, hiking, shooting, you name it!

• I love to eat…and most especially Texas-style BBQ!

Mason is one of nine individuals selected to be in Class 6 of the Future Volunteer Leaders, a program that guides the next generation of leaders within Western Growers member companies interested in becoming more informed and effective advocates for the fresh produce industry.

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Pappas Family Farm: Safe Workers, Safe Produce

March 17th, 2021

George Pappas, Principal & President

Pappas Family Farm

Mendota, CA

Farm Established 1933 by George Pappas, uncle of Current Principal George Pappas

• • •

Has your produce diversified since the start of your operation in 1933?

Yes, we’ve diversified our crops over the years. Now we grow cantaloupe, watermelons, honeydew and sweet corn. We also have some joint deals where we grow produce for other packers.

How has the pandemic affected your operation?

COVID-19 has affected our operation in many ways. I would say first, it’s created a hazardous environment for our workforce because they are aware of the exposure factor. In response, we have taken several measures to protect our employees and make our operation a safe place for them to work. We understand that without our employees, we are nothing. We supply N-95 masks, hand sanitizers and protective gear. Also, we have implemented dividers to create a socially distant working environment, better ventilation in buildings to promote constant air flow and plenty of shade.

Do you promote regular COVID testing at your operation?

We try to make sure that the people in our crew have testing available to them and are remaining safe. While we don’t actually provide the testing, we try to assist our workforce in identifying testing locations at local clinics. In addition to our own workforce, we have also assisted other people in other areas with locating testing centers.

Pappas Produce has also secured a number of vaccinations for your workers. How did you make that possible?

We heard there would be a Fresno County farmworker vaccination pilot program designed to not only administer the vaccine but to also educate farmworkers and ag workers on the importance of being vaccinated. Considering the number of employees and the size of our operation, we volunteered our facility as a place to administer the vaccine and be a part of the program. We initially arranged 100 doses of the vaccine but unfortunately, the state only had 50 doses available. The event was televised. There were TV stations, local officials, mayors, and sheriff supervisors.

How did your workforce respond to the vaccine availability?

Our response was good! We had a lot more people that wanted to be vaccinated than we had vaccines available. We could have used all 100 doses of the vaccines had they given them to us. We explained to our workforce that this was a voluntary program; the vaccinations weren’t mandatory but were safe and available to them.

With more employees than doses, how did you identify the 50 individuals who would be vaccinated?

Ultimately, we had to go by age, similar to the state’s protocol. We asked the oldest of our crew if they would like to be vaccinated and most of them said yes with very little resistance. Most of the individuals that were vaccinated were farmworkers and a few administrative workers.

Now that a portion of your workforce has received their first dose, what changes have you seen in their attitude in regard to both the pandemic and the vaccine?

Firstly, peace of mind for those who were able to get it and eagerness for those who haven’t. When it becomes more readily available, most of my workforce would like to get vaccinated. I have had so many phone calls from other farmers, other agricultural firms who want to know, “Hey, how did you get it? We want to get our people lined up.” People from the community, whether it be people that I knew or not, wanted to come over and get it, which was a really positive thing. But again, unfortunately there just weren’t enough vaccines available.

What’s next for Pappas Produce?

We’re a long-time grower-shipper-packer, looking forward to the third generation being involved in the business and hopefully they’ll continue on with it. I’m going to make sure they are surrounded by a good team who can handle the adversity that comes with the job. Having new minds with new ideas and technology will bolster our operation, especially as the business continues to evolve.

Chardae Heim interviewed George Pappas for this interview.

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Meet Robert Medler: Arizona Advocate for Western Growers

March 17th, 2021

By Tim Linden

Robert Medler joined Western Growers in mid-January as the organization’s new manager of Arizona government affairs. He hit the ground running as the Legislature was in session, but the transition was seamless as he was previously the chief lobbyist for the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Q: Briefly detail your path from college to Western Growers?

A: I was employed by the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce from 2007 to last month (January 2021). In the early years, I focused on local city and county government, eventually running our entire policy program. While working, I earned my master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University (which is in Spokane, WA). During my career, I was involved in many different aspects of the chamber but at the end, I was focusing on state and federal government as vice president of government affairs.

Q: What was the impetus for change?

A: I was looking for a change and something new. The chamber is focused on the entire business community, which is both a blessing and a curse. I was looking for a new challenge. My wife actually found the Western Growers job posting and thought it sounded perfect for me.

Q: Of course, you are still representing business before the Arizona Legislature. Do you see the two jobs as being similar?

A: There is synergy between the two but there are also differences. Agriculture is a specific type of business so there are issues that were very similar to the ones I dealt with for the chamber. At the chamber, our goal was to help businesses prosper in the most efficient manner as they work through various governmental rules and regulations. And that piece will be similar. When I was at the chamber, I worked very well with the agricultural industry lobbyists. But there are also new issues that are very important to agriculture that I didn’t deal with, such as pesticide regulations and immigration issues. Currently, we are dealing with many issues surrounding COVID-19, including vaccinations and agricultural workers being identified as front line workers.

Q: Arizona was in the middle of the action this election season as President Biden carried the state. Has Arizona’s political atmosphere changed as much as pundits say?

A: Of course, things have changed a lot in the last 20 years. I came to Arizona to go to college in the summer of 2001. Three weeks later we had 9/11 and the whole world change. Arizona has changed demographically, economically and politically. And more changes are coming that are very difficult to predict. But I do not agree with the assessment that Arizona is now a ‘Blue State’. Arizona is some shade of light purple. We are blue federally, but a solid red below that. Democrats won the presidency and the Senate, but they lost a lot of legislative races that they thought they were going to win. We are a mixed bag. I see my job as creating coalitions on both sides of the aisle to create sound public policy. It is important for Western Growers to be a leading voice on all issues that affect agriculture.

Q: Arizona government has a reputation of being business friendly. Do you think that is an accurate assessment?

A: I do. Our track record for attracting businesses to Arizona over the last six years has been very good. Under Governor Ducey, Arizona has made a strategic decision to entice business to relocate here and that has gone very well. The proof is in the pudding as they say. You are either growing or decaying…there is very little room in-between. I believe Arizona offers a very good environment for businesses to grow.

Q: Does agriculture still enjoy a fair amount of clout in the state?

A: Agriculture definitely has clout. I witnessed that firsthand during my years at the chamber. Agriculture is still one of the top five industries in the state and is a huge part of Arizona’s economy. People do listen to agriculture. That was always apparent, and a good example was legislation surrounding water issues. Agriculture always argued if you don’t have water, of course, you can’t grow your crops…and that message was heard. Historically, currently, and into the future agriculture is very important to Arizona and government officials know that.

Q: What are you most looking forward to in your new position?

A: I am a people person and when the legislative session is over, I plan to travel around the state and get acquainted with all of our members in Arizona. I want to introduce myself and learn firsthand about each company and the issues they face.

• • •

Name: Robert Medler

Title: Manager of Arizona Government Affairs

Hometown: Marana, Arizona (between Tucson & Phoenix)

Upbringing: I was a military brat and lived in many places in the United States and around the world including California, Alabama, Virginia, Connecticut, England, and West Germany.

Family: My wife, Bonnie, and I have a three and half year-old daughter named Katherine.

Favorite Childhood Home: We lived in London from 1993 to 1996. It was a great place to be a 10-year-old boy with all the nearby castles.

Education: I went to undergraduate school at the University of Arizona and graduate school at Gonzaga. My dad joked that I picked my colleges based on their basketball programs. I almost always have two teams in the NCAA March Madness Tourney.

Favorite Hobbies: I love spending time with my wife and daughter. I love lots of outdoor activities: playing golf, fly fishing, hunting, scuba diving.

Favorite Vacation: We love to travel. We love Hawaii and in recent years we’ve also been to China, all of Scandinavia and the Dominican Republic.

Personal Motivation: I am an education geek. I am always looking for new things to learn. I especially love getting out and learning.

Fun Fact: After I applied for the Western Growers position, I noticed that Kim Sherman (senior director of membership) worked here. We had been friends as we met at conferences and were in a chamber leadership class together when we both worked for different chambers of commerce. I reached out and she raved about Western Growers and said it was a great place to work.

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Protecting Our Essential Workers

March 17th, 2021

Nothing means more to us than taking care of essential workers who ensure the continuity of our food supply. We are committed to helping businesses maintain their operations and keeping their employees safe and healthy. Many agricultural employers are implementing screening and testing protocols as part of their COVID-19 prevention program, and rest assured, Western Growers Assurance Trust (WGAT) is here to help every step of the way.

Pinnacle Claims Management, part of the Western Growers Family of Companies (WGFC), recently began offering onsite rapid COVID-19 testing services. When we created our testing solutions, our goal was threefold:

  • to ensure employers have a convenient and cost-effective way to test their employees
  • to enable employers to act quickly to prevent the spread of infection in their workplace
  • to help improve staff availability by making sure workers no longer have to stay at home and isolate while they wait for their COVID-19 test results

Approved by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) to provide COVID-19 testing, our highly trained medical personnel use the diagnostic rapid testing devices to deliver accurate and automated COVID-19 results using direct nasal/nasopharyngeal swabs. These tests will provide employees with results in about 15 to 30 minutes and will also test for influenza.

Onsite Testing at Employer Locations

It’s of the utmost importance to offer employers the convenience of scheduling testing for their employees at their work sites. As most farm workers are likely to live in rural communities, our onsite testing solutions reduce the barriers to care for workers who may be more remote or have transportation issues.

Onsite rapid testing services also enable employers to act quickly to prevent the spread of infection in their workplace and limit unproductive time from staff who would otherwise be required to isolate at home while they wait for results. Oftentimes, it can take several days for third-party testing facilities to deliver results since they have to ship samples to offsite labs.

Testing at our Cedar Health and Wellness Centers

In addition to onsite rapid COVID-19 testing solutions at employer locations, we are offering testing at our Cedar Health and Wellness Centers throughout several locations in California—Oxnard, Watsonville, Salinas, and Santa Maria. For employers who want more information on our competitively priced testing solutions, you can reach out to Jenny Yun, manager of Clinical Services, at (949) 885-4792 or [email protected].

You can also visit our COVID-19 resources page, which contains a series of Western Growers-created guidance prepared by the experts on staff at https://www.wga.com/covid-19-resources-page.

In addition to serving as president of Pinnacle Claims Management, Inc., David Zanze is the executive vice president of Western Growers Assurance Trust.

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How Does Cyber Risk Impact My Business?

March 17th, 2021

Most of our members tend to think about cyber liability in the traditional sense of “personal information of my customers and employees.” Because they don’t sell directly to the consumer, or have a limited number of employees, they don’t see any exposure.

Cyber risk has evolved well beyond this narrow definition of privacy liability. Some of the more common classifications are the following:

•  Social Engineering – this entails fraudulent financial funds transfer exposures, where someone from the outside convinces an employee of yours to transfer money to what appears to be an authorized account, but it’s not.

•  Ransomware – where a hacker gains access and infects your system, quite often without being detected and demanding payment to reverse the effects.

•  Network Business Interruption – where outside hackers shut your system(s) down and demand payment to let you start up again.

Access to your system can be gained directly, or commonly through a vendor’s system, who may not have taken the system security steps you have. With the recent popularity of remote work, the access points have multiplied.

Cyber Risk Management

Western Growers Insurance Services has created a solution to help you manage this risk. As with the other areas of exposure, we’ll help your team determine which cyber risks can be transferred to an insurance carrier and which are better managed by your team.

Cyber insurance is currently in a very dynamic state, and the policy you bought two years ago may no longer be the best option. There are new enhancements and exclusions, and our goal is to make your team understand how those impact your business. Not all cyber policies are created equal.

As we do with every aspect of our Product Recall Program, we walk you through risk management process. This includes understanding your security protocols, your system testing results and matching you up to the correct crisis management experts. It is crucial that this is completed ahead of any cyber event you may have—not during or after.

We know first-hand that several our members have experienced cyber events in the past year, which have financially impacted their business. We are here to help you manage this and all areas of risk. For more information, contact me at [email protected] or 949-885-2351.

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WG Automation Initiative: What it Means for Entrepreneurs and Startups

March 17th, 2021

By Walt Duflock, Vice President, Innovation

On February 11, 2021, Western Growers announced the launch of the Global Harvest Automation Initiative (GHAI). This initiative will provide several benefits for entrepreneurs and startups. First, Western Grower is clearly indicating an intent to help solve the food security problems caused by decreasing labor availability and increasing labor costs. This will bring attention and resources to the space as investors and growers bring investment and field trial activity to help address the harvest challenges.

Second, one of the key pillars of the GHAI is developing a technology stack that will help startups launch and scale faster by commoditizing multiple layers of harvest automation technology. Think of the key components of harvest automation—artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms use imaging technology to direct the robot arm that places the end effector right where it’s needed to complete the harvest after it’s moved down the field rows by a tractor. Now think about how much faster the startup could get to market if they used industry standard options for some those layers. Use of existing tractor technologies and robot arm technologies can shave quarters or years off development cycles. Combine that with imaging libraries that allow startups to save time on product design. Added together across dozens of harvest startups working with more than one hundred specialty crops, the technology stack can save an incalculable amount of time on product development work.

Third, systems integration work will be provided to select startups that are showing early signs of market traction as part of the initiative. This will help startups leverage WG and partner resources to enable the integration work and allow them to focus on the key value-add areas like developing algorithms and end effectors. Once the startups have products and economics that are vetted, field trials will be scheduled with WG growers and WG will publish case studies so that growers can benefit from the trials of others.

Fourth, WG is developing a roadmap (market map) that will indicate which startups are performing well by specialty crop type. This visual will represent all startups in the harvest segment from development to field testing to in market and scaling. This will help raise awareness among growers of startups and the results they are delivering. This will increase the number of field trials and conversions of prospects to customers. The roadmap will be updated quarterly as we get the initial set of startups collected and analyzed, and will move to annual updates as the data set becomes more static. It will indicate changes in position for each startup with each update.

Finally, WG is going to build an impact analysis. This will focus on measuring the actual impact of harvest automation. How many acres of crops were able to get harvested because of harvest automation? How much of an incremental impact is harvest automation able to achieve annually, which will be the focus of each annual report. One of the keys to this exercise will be getting startups and growers to think about the automation solutions in a similar way so that the entire ecosystem can use a common set of metrics. Automation technologies like thinning and weeding have not historically gone back and measured the impact of their solutions but, starting in 2021, harvest will be measured, and an annual impact analysis will be published.

The GHAI will directly benefit two groups. For startups, commoditizing the technology stack and having systems integration resources available will accelerate time to market, scale, and the need for fundraising. For growers, the roadmap and impact analysis will help identify the startups that are in market with traction and help measure the impact of harvest automation annually. Finally, published case studies will help both groups—startup field trials will get published to a wide audience and growers will be able to review many case studies beyond the few they are able to participate in. This will raise overall awareness of real-world tests that went well for growers to help other growers decide which startups to consider when evaluating solutions.

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5 Facts You Didn’t Know about Innovation at Grimmway Farms

March 17th, 2021

Bakersfield-based Grimmway Farms is the classic story of “How it Started…How it’s Going.” Grimmway originally launched in the 1960s as a small produce stand opened by the Grimm brothers, selling corn to the local community. Today, it produces more than 65 seasonal and year-round products distributed globally and ranks as the world’s largest producer of carrots. Much of Grimmway’s success is attributed to business-savvy decisions and its commitment to caring for customers and employees. However, the farm’s decision to put innovation at the forefront has propelled Grimmway to even more success.

“The most interesting thing about Grimmway is that the company’s growth was launched by innovation,” said Jeff Morrison, director of innovation and new technology at Grimmway Farms. “If you look at the trajectory of the company, innovation took place early on in the formation of the baby carrot, so that is a textbook example of food product innovation where the consumer needs are being met and it changes the texture of the marketplace.”

To further grow the business and capture market opportunity, the carrot giant formed a group in 2009 solely dedicated to drive innovative processes for farming. The newly formed Ag R&D Department, led by Morrison, formally pursued innovation initiatives as well as developed and deployed technology and mechanical process improvements across the farm.

Through the years, Grimmway has built a robust innovation culture throughout the organization, ultimately strengthening its position in an increasingly competitive marketplace characterized by multiple regulatory headwinds. Learn how Grimmway Farms is successfully expanding the role of technology in food production through the 5 fascinating innovation facts below.

#1 Seed Variety Drives Changes in Planting Practices

You may know that consumer preference transformed the baby carrot – from a fatter, larger diameter carrot 15 to 30 years ago to today being a thin, pencil-sized baby carrot. But what you may not know is that the drastic changes in seed varieties have driven field productivity and the efficiency of carrot production, ultimately shaping planting practices throughout the entire Grimmway Farms operation. This includes implementing new planting systems that enable better control over the seed distribution and using better equipment to allow for more precise planting.

#2 Technology from Europe Plays Large Role in Field Productivity

Grimmway worked with European companies and producers to pair “al la cart” technology from Europe along with the farm’s own home-grown technology to bolster radish growing and harvest. The application of these blended mechanical systems encouraged Grimmway to adopt a holistic model of changing planting, growing and harvest practices to accommodate these new systems as opposed to the legacy manual process. The result? It flushed out a lot of the labor, increased productivity and quality in the field and improved the economics on radish.

#3 Grimmway Builds Tailor-Made Machines for Specific Micro-Climates

Grimmway has systems that it develops for the different regions that it grows in to ensure that their crop thrives in different weather, various soil types, etc. This includes building all its own planters and continually enhancing “off the shelf” metering units.

#4 COVID-19 Fast-Tracks Transition toward Packaged Vegetables

The pandemic catalyzed Grimmway’s transition toward packaged vegetables, including launching a new packaging system, developing new methods of cooling to ensure that quality is preserved, accelerating its push into the automating packaging and making package SKUs available to customers.

“We take our role in producing healthy fresh produce for the nation very seriously and want to make sure that we don’t have supply chain interruptions due to health issues. We want to manage that volatility, and we are doing everything we can to make the food supply as secure as possible. That requires us to approach things from a new perspective. That requires innovation,” said Morrison.

#5 Grimmway Accelerating Automation through Western Growers Partnership

Grimmway became a sponsor of the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (WGCIT) in October 2019 and was the first sponsor to join the Global Harvest Automation Initiative, WG’s effort to solve the ag industry’s labor woes while simultaneously helping harvest automation start-up companies commercialize and scale at a more rapid pace.

“The next level of automation and innovation—even for a company like Grimmway—exceeds what we have the capacity to execute on individually. We need a team, and we need to pool capital and resources to make progress in that area. That’s why we are really focused on the WG effort,” said Morrison.

Additionally, Grimmway and the WGCIT are launching a test farm to accelerate innovation and fast-track the development cycle. Startups will have the opportunity to perform R&D year-round and growers will have the opportunity to evaluate the suitable technology. The test farm is slated to available for use in early 2022, adding yet another layer of groundbreaking innovation at Grimmway Farms. 

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WG to Advance Harvest Automation through Global Initiative

March 17th, 2021

Automating 50% of harvest throughout the fruit, vegetable and nut industry within 10 years is the goal of the new Western Growers Global Harvest Automation Initiative (GHAI).

“What we’ve been able to do, and today’s assemblance is demonstrative of it, is collect the right players across the grower-shipper-processor, VC/investor and industry partner segments to envision what we can collectively do to both tackle the challenges that afflict the specialty crop industry and also create immense opportunity for those that are willing to take the dive,” said WG President/CEO Dave Puglia during the official launch event in Tulare, Calif., on February 11, 2021.

The GHAI is comprised of four key components:

•  Harvest Automation Cohort: A cohort of automation startups will be selected to receive exclusive access to fresh produce farmers for field trials and mentoring.

•  Top Harvest Automation Roadmap: A list of current harvest automation startups by crop type and in-market progress/traction will be distributed regularly.

•  Tech Stack: A standard technology stack (method of helping companies apply existing technology to future robots) that will enable AgTech startups to scale faster in the four key areas of harvest automation—visioning; artificial intelligence/machine learning to determine which images (plants) to harvest and which not to; harvest mechanism (the robot arm); and a tractor to transport the robot.

•  Impact Report: A comprehensive analysis on the impact of harvest automation on the specialty crop industry will be provided annually.

The GHAI launch event featured two panels to provide insight on the current state of automaton and what steps need to be taken in order for mechanization to advance. The tech panel—Candice Wilson (GreenVenus), Neill Callis (Turlock Fruit Company), Ted Batkin (Aequion), and Kathryn Van Weerdhuizen (Oxbo International Corporation)—shared what role they and like organizations can play to reduce the time and cost for startups to develop next generation harvest automation.

The growers panel, which included Josh Ruiz (Church Brothers), Don Cameron (Terranova Ranch), Drew Ketelson (HMC Farms) and was moderated by WG Center for Innovation & Technology Director Dennis Donohue, discussed importance of technologists working together with farmers to develop the harvest mechanisms. The panel also spoke about the innovative technology being developed on the farm and how growing practices are being altered to enable harvest.

“Success is not losing the ability to farm fresh vegetables in California. Right now, there’s a huge vacuum to Mexico and that’s because of labor. It’s too expensive, too complicated and there are too many regulations,” said Ruiz. “I just want to keep growing broccoli here, and to do that I had to completely reconfigure how I farmed the broccoli. We changed the genetics [of the broccoli] to fit us and the machine, and then we created our automatic harvesting machine.”

Speakers from across the globe also joined the conference both in person and via Zoom to share the initiatives their respective organizations are implementing to advance harvest automation, and also spoke on their shared partnership with WG to advance the GHAI. Among them was the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission who announced a $200,000 commitment to help WG’s effort to accelerate harvest automation across the fresh produce industry.

The full spectrum of GHAI supporters/stakeholders include: Agri-Tech E, Agritech New Zealand, Augean Robotics, Bosch, Bayer, California Strawberry Commission, Church Brothers, Driscoll’s, Farmwise, Finistere, FFR Robotics, FME Netherlands, GreenVenus, Grimmway Farms, John Deere, Microsoft, Oxbo International Corporation, RDO, Robotics Plus, Trimble, Turlock Fruit, UC Riverside, Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and Yamaha.

More than 100 people attended the GHAI launch either in-person or via livestream, with more than 700 post-event livestream replays. To view a recording of the livestream, visit wga.com.

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WGCIT START-UP: Bear Flag Robotics Automating Tillage

March 17th, 2021

By Tim Linden

True to technology startup folklore, Bear Flag Robotics began its life in co-founder Igino Cafiero’s garage. It was there that he began tinkering with the concept of an autonomous tractor by building a self-driving ATV (all-terrain vehicle).

It was also there that he and co-founder Aubrey Donnellan developed the concept of using the technology for the common good. “They wanted to use robotics on something to benefit society,” said Farm Operations Manager Daniel Carmichael, who was the fifth person hired and the first with farming experience. He is a fifth-generation farmer.

Bear Flag Robotics’ mission is to increase global food production and reduce the cost of growing food through machine automation. Carmichael said the overarching mission of robotics and actually all farm technology is how to do more with less. From its start in 2017, the company has participated in start-up accelerators and is a resident of the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology.

It is beyond the proof-of-concept phase and is, in fact, selling its service to customers. Its go-to market strategy is as a service. Bear Flag Robotics currently leases five 370-horsepower tractors that are equipped with all the technological hardware necessary for autonomous operation. The company is planning to equip 25 more tractors in 2021. Carmichael says those five tractors are currently booked to capacity, but he recommended that potential customers contact the company soon if they want to utilize the service as new tractors are operational.

The company admittedly went after the low-hanging fruit of primary tillage to introduce the concept and prove that it works at a cost below what a grower would be paying today to receive the same service from a tractor with a driver. The Bear Flag tractor does have a driver in the cab for at least the first pass of the field for safety reasons. But as a specific piece of land is tilled, the technology on board remembers that ground and subsequent passes can be achieved autonomously.

Carmichael said it is the autonomous nature of the tractor and its ability to operate continuously that allows it to be economically viable at a cost below market.  He also admits that Bear Flag has priced its service on a per acre basis at a very attractive rate to build business as it is through maximum utilization that the service gains efficiencies.

From the initial primary tillage, the tractors can now accommodate secondary tillage, which Carmichael basically described as moving through a field in a controlled traffic pattern that allows it to avoid irrigation pipe, drip tape and other obstacles. In the long run, he believes an autonomous tractor will be able to be used for virtually everything a tractor does on a farm today. He noted that spraying could be the next task adopted while planting a field will be one of the last services developed. He said growers are far less inclined to turn that farming necessity over to a driverless tractor than they are tilling an empty field. But he said updating the tractor’s capabilities will be an ongoing pursuit and likened it to the continuous updating of a smart phone, with each new model adding more features.

Carmichael acknowledged that some growers are interested in owning a tractor with autonomous capabilities and he expects that to be part of the company’s strategy in the future. But currently selling the service makes more sense.

The longtime farmer said selling the concept of this technology to growers has not been that difficult because most people are aware of autonomous automobiles, which pioneered the idea and introduced it to the general public. If a car can drive itself on a busy highway, it is not a leap to think that a tractor can do the same thing in a field. He said the grower community has shown tremendous interest in the equipment and usually a farmer only needs to sit in the cab and take a spin to “get it”. Carmichael added: “We are offering a service to help them do what they do; we don’t tell people how to farm.”

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Attention Shifts to Climate Change

March 17th, 2021

On January 27, 2021, President Biden’s executive order sent a loud and clear message regarding his administration’s plans to tackle climate change. Framed in the context of a domestic and international climate crisis, it called for a holistic international leadership of the United States on climate issues. The future political outlook calls the fresh produce sector to pay extra attention to climate change.

Likely, we will be hearing more of the terms “environmental justice” and “net-zero emissions.” But what does that mean to the specialty crop sector? And what are actions should we be taking?

Important aspects of the climate change discussion include the reduction of climate pollution—specifically the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, cost-benefit analysis of regulatory actions, and initiatives to advance conservation and sustainability. Climate-smart agricultural practices are needed. According to the World Bank, climate-smart agriculture is an integrated approach to managing landscapes—cropland, livestock, forests, and fisheries—that addresses the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change.

No clear picture can be painted from what we currently know and don’t know about climate change impacts and preparedness. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the climate is projected to continue to change over this century and beyond; temperatures are expected to rise, frost-free and growing seasons to lengthen, heavy precipitation to continue, drought and heat waves to increase, hurricanes to become stronger and more intense, flooding to be more intensive in many regions, sea levels to rise, and the Arctic to be free of ice before mid-century.

The roles research and innovation play in agriculture’s response to climate change is critical moving forward. However, currently there is very limited research focused on the impact of climate change on specialty crops as well as limited work on adaptation and potential mitigation strategies. How producers respond, in combination with innovation and policies, will ultimately determine the impact of climate change on growing conditions, food safety, food security, and sustainability.

How do specialty crops fit in the picture?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2013 report titled “Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation,” included impacts and adaption associated with specialty crops, specifically some vegetables and fruits considered annual specialty crops, for which production data are annually collected by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This report highlighted key stressors, such as temperature changes, solar radiation variation, water deficits and excesses as well as extreme weather events that can injure crops and increase their susceptibility to diseases. It also made the point that stronger and new patterns of weeds and pests can present new risks and challenges for food security, food safety, and human health. Therefore, it is critical to understand and study more of the interaction across these stressors.

With climate change challenges, uncertainty but also opportunities are being introduced into agriculture. The USDA’s 2013 report stressed that producers are faced with new types of climate-driven challenges and a lack of knowledge to formulate new management strategies. How producers respond will determine the best adaptation and mitigation response to climate change.

Climate risk management strategies will likely involve both short-term and long-term adaptation planning that takes into account the projected exposures and specific sensitivities of different production systems. Adaptation by the specialty crop sector can include potential strategies ranging from altering planting dates, selecting cultivars with higher tolerances for stressful temperatures and/or resistance to certain diseases and pests, utilizing more water-efficient crops, supplemental irrigation to offset water deficits, or changing cropping patterns.

In general, producers will need to consider changes in crop diversity, irrigation methods, fertilization practices, tillage practices, and land management. Awareness alone is not enough; the specialty crops sector must begin and continue to work on adaptation and mitigation strategies. And, while producers are probably among the most resilient on the planet, planning for the future with climate change in mind could make a big difference on the outcome.

An important component of climate change mitigation discussions is the advancement of market-based cap-and-trade systems as a regulatory instrument. It is critical that such systems are feasible and economically viable for the specialty crop sector. Research and incentives are critical to facilitate the adoption of these systems. A one-size-fits-all system may not allow adjustments based on further research and limit climate change mitigation.

In addition, climate change preparedness is going to require planning and policy considerations that address risk communication within the agricultural community, incentives, and the integration of the specialty crop sector into specific policy development activities related to climate change. Funding specialty crops-specific research as well as promoting incentives and policies that advance innovation is a must to support and develop adaptation and mitigation strategies.

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The Enviros’ Water Paradox

March 17th, 2021

Two things struck me recently as I thought about the water headaches that afflict many California farmers, especially those in the San Joaquin Valley.

First up, the matter of “drought.” We all noted with concern the dry fall season, which understandably raised concerns about another drought, and predictably journalists and environmentalists who focus on water policy declared it so. Because drought—of any degree—is always used to further constrict the water supplied to San Joaquin Valley farmers. But then as winter came and a series of major storms produced heavy rain in much of the state and encouraging snow deposits in the Sierras, the narrative changed oddly. Rather than hearing the same commentators express gratitude for the precipitation and the hope that more would be forthcoming, perhaps even removing the threat of drought at least for a year, we were left alone in our optimism. Settle down you (ag) people, the storms were of little help, and by the way California is in a permanent drought. No need to concern ourselves with the many feet of snow accumulating in the mountains. No, that isn’t what you think it is. We’re in a permanent drought, and by the way this is a drought year, too.

Okay then.

California may well be in a long-term drought; calling it “permanent” seems to assume too much. But in any case, if our emerging reality as the climate changes means California will receive less frequent precipitation, less of it overall, and it will come in warmer, flashier storms that create flood risk rather than as the Sierra snowpack that has been our largest “reservoir,” then shouldn’t the state be moving boldly and quickly to invest in infrastructure that can convey and store more of the runoff from warmer winter storm events, both for flood protection and to bolster our water supply security throughout the year and to hold over water from wet years to meet our needs during drier years?

Indeed, many voices involved in water policy across the ideological spectrum have advocated exactly that. It almost feels as though a broad consensus is possible: Increase the state’s surface storage capacity where possible (major asterisks around that), enhance conveyance capabilities to move stored water when needed, and increase groundwater recharge capabilities by streamlining bureaucratic rules and building more small-scale conveyance facilities to get the water where it can be used to recharge basins (e.g., farmland).

Which brings up the second thing that caught my eye: A statement from the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club and other environmental activist groups announcing a lawsuit to block a relatively small—but important—new water storage project from going forward.

The proposed Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir Project in Stanislaus County will be funded by water users, mostly agricultural.

With a projected capacity of 82,000 acre feet, it’s a modest facility. But it would provide some of that badly needed capacity to store runoff when it arrives, and deliver it when needed to farms, groundwater recharge and wildlife refuges.

Exactly what California should be encouraging as climate change takes hold.

Yet as this lawsuit was filed, not a whisper of disagreement came from the many other water policy influencers who know darn well that this little project, and others like it, are badly needed.

According to U.C. Davis, regulatory-driven water cutbacks during the 2012-2016 drought caused more than one million acres of farmland to be fallowed, with 43,000 jobs and $5.5 billion in economic activity lost.

Compounding matters, the Public Policy Institute of California estimates that implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 will result in the permanent loss of no less than 535,000 acres of San Joaquin Valley farmland and $4 billion in annual revenues by 2040. Several water managers in the Valley have projected even greater farmland loss.

The best way to recharge critically over-drafted basins without injuring regional economies and the thousands of our fellow Californians who are connected to agriculture is to reverse the steady reduction of surface water provided to farms for irrigation, and to channel flood runoff to recharge lands efficiently. Both require new infrastructure and repair or enhancement of existing infrastructure. The Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir Project—modest as it is—would accomplish those goals. Whether it will be built is now in some question, thanks to environmentalist litigation.

Environmental activists want to have it both ways: Declare that California is in a permanent state of drought and simultaneously litigate or otherwise block every sensible effort to create water storage and conveyance capacity sufficient to meet the challenges of climate change.

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle in 2014, Senator Dianne Feinstein spoke truth to this powerful constituency within her own party, reflecting that environmentalists “have never been helpful to me in producing good water policy. You can’t have a water infrastructure for 16 million people and say, ‘Oh, it’s fine for 38 million people,’ when we’re losing the Sierra Nevada snowpack.”

Seven years later, nothing has changed except for the loss of valuable time to act before an entire region of our state is steadily decamped by the economic ruination that followed the foolish decisions of our policy makers over the course of decades.

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Welcome New Members

March 17th, 2021

The Ag Center 59

Alsco-Geyer Irrigation Inc

All American Drilling Inc

Demos Farm Fresh LLC

Gallagher Farming Company LLC

Gregory P Crossgrove Inc

HR Mobile Services Inc

Millennium Pacific Greenhouses Inc.

NGB Markets Inc

N Drip Inc

Oakbend Dairy

Parabug, LLC

Phytech

Phytologix Agroscience Services LLC

Radical Plastics Inc

Schuil & Associates Inc

Skyline Dairy

Twin Buttes Enterprises Inc

Ultra Gro

Westwind Farms

 

Member Anniversaries

40 Years

Castle Dome Seed, LLC

P-R Farms Inc

 

30 Years

Cal Association of Winegrape Growers

Kern Delta Water District

Smith & Hook Winery

20 Years

Belk Farms

Chandler Ranch Company

Doaba Farms LLC

Gila Valley Farms

Hidden Valley Ranch

Laux Management Inc

S & S Grove Management

Stepladder Ranch

Swanson Ranch

 

10 Years

Country Sweet Produce Inc

Pacific Brokerage Co Inc

Robert Teicheira Farms

The Saqui Law Group, A Division Of Dowling Aaron Incorporated

Sunsation Farms Inc

 

5 Years

Cold Pick International

Conservis Corporation

Costa View Farms

De Pue Warehouse Company Inc

Floricultura Pacific Inc

G & M Farms Inc

Garry Richardson Farms

GFO LLC

H & S Harvesting Inc

LaCosta Harvest Inc

Myriad Flowers International

Produce West Inc

River Fresh Farms

Santa Maria Harvesting LLC

Sun Rapt Foods Inc

Valley Central Cooling

Voita West

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