Colorado River Shortage Briefing to be Held May 6 in Phoenix

April 5th, 2022

The Arizona Department of Water Resources and Central Arizona Project are hosting a joint Colorado River shortage briefing on May 6.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. in person at CAP Headquarters in the Lake Mead Conference Room at 23636 N. 7th St., Phoenix, AZ 85024. In addition, the briefing will be livestreamed at the CAP website.

Items on the agenda include a Colorado River hydrology update, a 500+ plan update and a 2023 water delivery outlook.

Take the Next Gen Ag Grant Survey to Help Develop Community College Agtech Curriculum

April 5th, 2022

In 2021, Western Growers received nearly $750,000 in grant funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Over the next three and a half years, these funds will be used to educate the next generation of agriculture employee.

WG will be working with California Community College ag faculty throughout the state to develop educational modules that can be quickly embedded in current courses at any community college.

This survey is your opportunity to let us know what skills your employees are currently missing so we can address these gaps as we develop curriculum at the community colleges. Our goal is to provide a pipeline of employees for members that have the skills you need most when they are hired.

The survey can be found here.

Federal OSHA Makes Heat Illness Top Priority

April 7th, 2022

In October 2021 the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice) for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings. Publication of the Notice signals the beginning of OSHA’s rulemaking process to consider a heat-specific workplace standard.

Public comment on the Notice was extended through the end of January 2022 where input on strategies such as Heat Illness Prevention Plans and Programs, Acclimatization, Planning and Responding to Heat Illness Emergencies was sought. Comments made by OSHA’s Permanent Assistant Secretary in early March 2022 prioritizing the agencies heat standard as second only to its COVID-19 strategy evidence its commitment to improving current protections afforded under the General Duty Clause.[i]  

The Notice references potential gaps in existing standards (e.g., failure of current standards to specify how much potable water must be made available and the failure to specifically identify hazardous heat for training and PPE purposes) signaling OSHA’s attempts to address not only these gaps, but also various work arrangements such as an employer’s’ use of contingent workers and multi-employer worksites.

Publication of the Notice has no impact on current OSHA enforcement efforts regarding heat safety and health-related topics.

Members with questions about heat injury and illness compliance should contact Western Growers.


[i] OSHA’s General Duty Clause requires employers to provide employment and places of employment that are free of recognized hazards, including heat exposure. 

Form I-9 Changes and an Extended Public Comment Period

April 7th, 2022

DHS Temporary Policy for Expired List B Documents To End

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recently announced the ending to its temporary COVID-19 pandemic policy allowing the use of expired Form I-9 List B documents to verify employment eligibility.

Since May 1, 2020, DHS has allowed the use of expired documents (e.g., drivers’ licenses and state identification cards) to serve as proof of identity. The variance was allowed as a response to COVID-19-related difficulties associated with issuing authority closures or the inability to timely renew documents. With an easing of these pandemic-related difficulties, starting May 1, 2022 employers may no longer accept unexpired List B documents.

Another important deadline will be July 31, 2022, which will serve as the date employers must update any I-9 form containing expired documents presented between May 1, 2020 and April 30, 2022. To assist in compliance efforts, DHS has prepared an updated requirements table.

DHS Invites Public Comment on Proposed Form I-9 Extensions and Revisions 

On March 30, 2022 the DHS published Notice 87 inviting public comment on proposed revisions to current Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms and procedures. DHS is proposing Form I-9 be extended and revised as follows:

  • Compress Sections 1 and 2 from two pages to one page to reduce paper use and storage burden on employers.
  • Change Section 3 to a Reverification and Rehire Supplement that provides three separate areas to enter reverifications and rehires within 3 years of the date of the initial execution of an employee’s Form I-9. Employers would only print and use the supplement as needed, further reducing paper use and storage burdens on employers.
  • Update the List of Acceptable Documents to include a link to List C documents issued by DHS and the acceptable receipts listed in 8CFR 274a.2(b)(1)(vi)(A-C).
  • Reduce and simplify the instructions from 15 pages to 7 pages, further reducing paper usage.
  • Remove electronic PDF enhancements to ensure that it can be completed on all electronic devices and is not software dependent.

The comment period has been extended to May 31, 2022. To review the proposed revisions and submit comments: Federal Register notice 87 FR 18377.

An Expensive H-2A Lesson

April 7th, 2022

 

The U.S. Department of Labor recently assessed a Florida farm labor contractor over $37,000 for failing to reimburse fees to its H-2A workers.[i] The H-2A program allows for the employment of nonimmigrant workers for seasonal and temporary agricultural work. The federal program requires employers to reimburse H-2A workers for certain costs by the end of their first workweek or pay period.

The Florida farm labor contractor was found by the DOL to have to reimburse its H-2A workers for visa fees. The hefty penalty handed down by the DOL is a stark reminder of the substantial penalties that may be assessed for failure to follow program guidelines.

Western Growers H-2A Services helps members navigate the federal H-2A temporary worker program by filing cumbersome applications and interfacing with various governmental agencies, while helping to ensure program compliance..

Members can receive legal guidance and special member-only pricing for H-2A services, plus training and updates by contacting Western Growers.


[i] As a result of the DOL investigation, the employer was also required to pay $9K in back wages to the impacted workers. 

Updated CDPH Isolation/Quarantine Guidance

April 15th, 2022

On April 6, 2022 the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) updated its COVID-19 Isolation/Quarantine Guidance. This latest update removes quarantine recommendations for asymptomatic exposed persons and includes updated definitions for “close contact” and “infectious periods” language.

Since February 28, 2022, the CDPH has shifted its COVID-19 priorities to focus on high-risk individuals/settings, recommending strategies proven to reduce COVID-19 community transmission (e.g., handwashing, close contact masking, vaccinations and booster shots). According to the CDPH several elements have combined to warrant a change in quarantine recommendations. This includes the discovery that the COVID-19 virus now has a shorter incubation period, the fact that many have been vaccinated and boosted, and the development of effective treatment options reducing hospitalizations, death, and strain on infrastructure.

NOTE: California employers remain subject to Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS).

Coming Soon to A Workplace Near You: Cal/OSHA ETS Updates

April 15th, 2022

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Standards Board is scheduled to meet on April 21, 2022 to decide whether to readopt a fourth iteration of its current COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS). The ETS applies to all workers not covered by the Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard or those working alone/remotely and requires employers to create, implement and maintain an up-to-date COVID-19 Prevention Program.

Many of the proposed changes appear to signal a shift in ETS protocols into closer alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California Department of Public Health updated guidelines. This includes references to CDPH masking protocols and quarantine/isolation guidelines.

Some of the more significant proposed revisions include:

  • Dropping the cleaning and disinfecting requirements in the workplace and for employer-provided housing and transportation;
  • Eliminating the definition of “fully vaccinated;”
  • Dropping the requirement for face coverings for employees not fully vaccinated and six-foot distancing for those exempted from facemasks for medical or other reasons. The requirement to test such employees weekly remains;
  • The term “high-risk exposure” is replaced by “infectious period,” related to employee COVID cases;
  • Employers will not be required to test “returned cases,” (i.e., COVID cases who have returned to work and have not developed symptoms after returning.)
  • Dropping of exclusion requirements for COVID cases and those with close contacts. Instead, employers will now be required to review the CDPH Guidance and implement effective policies
  • Updated return-to-work procedures; and
  • Dropping the requirement to use partitions when physical distancing is not feasible.

The current ETS is set to expire on May 5, 2022. View the amended standards here.

EEO Announces Opening of 2021 EEO-1 Component 1 Data Collection

April 22nd, 2022

On April 12, 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the opening of the 2021 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection. The deadline for submitting and certifying 2021 EEO-1 Component 1 Report(s) is May 17, 2022. Access to the online filing system is through the EEOC’s dedicated EEO-1 Component 1 website.

Employers subject to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) (e.g., those with 15+ employees) who also employ 100 or more employees, are required to file an annual EEO-1 Report with the EEOC. This filing requirement also includes most federal government contractors with 50+ employees and a federal contract of $50,000 or more. Employers subject to Title VII with fewer than 100 employees who are owned or affiliated with another company or where there is centralized ownership, control or management (e.g., central control of personnel policies and labor relations) so as to legally constitute a single enterprise with 100+ employees, must also file.

Multi-establishment employers subject to Title VII must complete an EEO-1 Report: 1) for its principal office; 2) a separate report for each establishment with 50+ employees; 3) a separate report for each establishment with fewer than 50 employees; or an Establishment List that shows the name, address, total employment for each establishment with fewer than 50 employees. Each of these separate reports are then combined to create a Consolidated Report.

Failure to file the EEO-1 can subject the employer to a lawsuit compelling compliance. False reporting can result in the imposition of files or imprisonment. Government contractors risk debarment of their contracts.

Members with questions about EEO-1 reporting should contact Western Growers. Additional online support can be found through the EEOC’s Filer Support Team Message Center.

Cal/OSHA Adopts COVID-19 ETS Revisions

April 28th, 2022

The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted on April 21, 2022 to adopt proposed revisions to current COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (Cal/OSHA ETS). The proposed adoption of the latest revisions passed by a 6 to 1 vote and is likely to be approved for implementation on or before the current May 5, 2022 ETS expiration date.

As outlined here, the proposed revisions included several significant changes. In addition to these changes the ETS also includes:

  • A change that will allow self-administered and self-read COVID-19 testing to be used as part of the employer’s return to work criteria if another means of independent verification of the results can be provided (e.g. a time-stamped photograph of the results).
  • A change to the definition of “Face covering” to exclude the qualifier that a tightly woven fabric or non-woven material of at least two layers must be of, “fabrics that do not let light pass through when held up to a light source.”
  • The requirement that “close contacts” must have a negative COVID-19 test taken within three and five days after the close contact or are to be excluded and required to follow ETS Return to Work Criteria.[i]
  • A change to the requirement that testing be “required”— as opposed to “made available”— for major COVID-19 outbreaks (defined as twenty positive tests in thirty days).

Members with questions about ETS revisions should contact Western Growers. Additional ETS revision updates will be provided as they are approved for implementation.


[i] ETS Section 3205(c)(10) (Return to work criteria).

An End To “Captive Audience” Meetings?

April 28th, 2022

In early April 2022, National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo (GC) issued GC Memorandum 22-04 – a very pro-union directive signaling her intention to seek a ban on employer mandated “captive audience” meetings held during union organizing campaigns.

For over 75 years the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has found captive audience meetings to be a lawful exercise of an employer’s free-speech rights (absent other prohibited conduct). The GC’s new memo suggests a violation of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) occurs where employees are ‘forced’ to listen to an employer’s free speech about union representation; an alleged violation of an employee’s statutory right to refrain from such activity. The memo also calls into question the validity of an employer’s right to hold similar voluntary meetings wherein employers speak with employees one-on-one or in small groups about unions during working time.  The GC deems such meetings to “inherently involve an unlawful threat that employees will be disciplined or suffer other reprisals if they exercise their protected right not to listen to such speech.”

While not yet of legal force, the memo proposes an end, not to employer free speech, but the practice of compelling employees to listen to such speech. An interesting proposition that may not prove feasibly enforceable, or by the GC’s own admission, adoptable. Although the GC’s memo sidesteps formal rule or administrative decision-making processes it does send a clear signal that NLRB regional office enforcement may be just around the corner.

In the interim, employers conducting captured audience meetings or attempting one-on-one discussions with their non-agricultural employees[1] concerning union activity, should take steps to provide clear assurances to employees that attendance/participation at such meetings is completely voluntary.

Members with questions about NLRA guidelines in relation to union activity should contact Western Growers.


[1] Agricultural employees are not covered by the NLRA. In California, they are covered by the Agricultural Labor Relations Act.

Federal Guidance on Legal Protections: Opioid Use Disorder

April 28th, 2022

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently published guidance on how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects individuals in treatment or recovery from Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). The publication, “The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Opioid Crisis: Combating Discrimination Against People in Treatment or Recovery,” is designed to assist employers in complying with anti-discrimination laws when dealing with individuals who are in treatment or recovery for OUD.

The publication is part of the DOJ’s response to the opioid crisis which continues to pose challenges to communities and workplaces across the country. The guide provides useful insights on employer responsibilities when it comes to providing accommodations for those individuals in treatment or recovery for OUD. The guides easy-to-read FAQ format includes multiple examples and reminds employers that ADA protections apply not only to the individuals own treatment or recovery circumstances, but also their association with individuals who have OUD.

It is important to remember that nothing in the ADA or other state/federal anti-discrimination laws, prohibits an employer from adopting or administering reasonable policies or procedures, including drug testing, designed to ensure workers are not engaging in the illegal use of drugs. However, the complex nature of OUD treatment or recovery necessitates, in some cases, that the individual be prescribed an opioid or other similar medication (under supervision of a licensed health care professional) to treat the disease. Employers engaged in navigating this fine line of compliance and enforcement should review the new DOJ guide and seek legal counsel to gain additional insight.

Members with questions about drug testing policies/procedures or reasonable accommodations for workers in treatment or recovery should contact Western Growers.

Ag Industry to Biden Administration: Port of Oakland Export Service Must Be Restored

April 28th, 2022

On April 25, Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia joined the heads of six agriculture associations in urging federal officials to bring ocean shipping carriers and the industry together to resolve the lack of service at Port of Oakland. In a letter addressed to United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, WG and its allies urged that such discussions must be had to secure the necessary ship calls, shipping containers, and cargo receiving windows for agriculture to move product.

The letter, which can be read in its entirety here, also details the devasting losses farmers have faced, and stand to further incur, due to the ongoing West Coast port crisis.

A TWO-YEAR CRISIS

Since Fall 2020, U.S. agricultural exporters have faced extreme challenges getting their products onto ships and out to foreign buyers, including record-breaking congestion and delays at ports, shipping lines’ persistent failure to provide accurate notice of arrival/departure and cargo loading times, excessive financial penalties and other fees, as well as skyrocketing freight rate costs.

The Port of Oakland is consequential for Asia-bound farm products, particularly tree nuts and vegetables. More than 4.2 million metric tons of agricultural export cargo moved through its gates prior to the pandemic. However, major ocean carriers have increasingly pulled service from Oakland to redirect more ships to other ports, leaving our industry with few options.

Unfortunately, this situation remains fluid with no clear end in sight; based on current projections, we may not see such port challenges ease until late 2023, all but guaranteeing tough months ahead for our export-sensitive crops.

Trust But Verify: Get That 2nd Opinion on Problem Loads

April 27th, 2022

As a produce shipper with a reported problem load at contract destination, you shouldn’t solely depend on your buyer informing you that he or she has already obtained an opinion from the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) regional office that it was a “shipper problem.” Many times, buyers will contact PACA for advice and an opinion on a scenario; however, sometimes they may inadvertently fail to give all the pertinent facts to PACA when seeking an informal, real-time opinion. Sometimes the buyer will even “shop around” by calling different PACA regional offices until they receive the favorable opinion they were seeking. When someone omits just one critical fact from PACA in framing the scenario pertaining to a problem load of produce, the entire opinion given by PACA could be compromised.

It is always encouraged for Western Growers (WG) shipper members to contact WG’s Trade Practices Department to discuss the particulars of any disputed transaction. With just a brief phone conversation, I will ask all the pertinent questions in order to provide an opinion on how your disputed matter could be ruled upon if a PACA Hearing Officer were to issue a formal Decision and Order. While my guidance is only an opinion, it will be based on PACA case law (precedent decisions) and years of experience assisting shipper members through formal proceedings. In giving you advice, I try to be pragmatic with my guidance in order to make certain you know your rights and remedies and can therefore make better informed business decisions with your buyer.

It’s not a question of whether or not to trust your customers, rather it’s always a good business practice to verify by getting a valid second or third opinion. The process is also educational so that if/when another similar scenario would ever present itself, you are prepared with appropriate action and response.

Calculating compliance with good delivery at contract destination can be complex at times. WG shipper members can utilize my services to review and help you interpret your USDA inspections or provide direct assistance in filing PACA or DRC complaints. Get that 2nd opinion if you’re in doubt! You can always contact me at 949.885.2392 or [email protected].

Santa Maria Strawberry Workers Go on Strike

April 15th, 2022

Western Growers has also been advised that workers at Santa Maria-based Manzanita Berry Farms stopped work on April 9. The company and the workers reportedly reached an agreement on an increased piece-rate for strawberry production.

Then, according to the Santa Maria Times, approximately 50 workers from Acquistapace Farms in Santa Maria stopped working in the strawberry fields on Monday, April 11, seeking higher wages.

The workers at Acquistapace are seeking an increase from their current piece rate of $2.10 per box to $3.50 per box. They are also asking for double pay for working in the rain and on federal holidays. The workers reportedly returned to work the next day at the same rate. It is unknown whether the company and the workers reached a deal.

Both work stoppages were organized by Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), an Oxnard and Santa Maria-based “worker center” (i.e., not a traditional labor union) focused on assisting Mexican Indigenous migrants. Notably, UFW, which has virtually withdrawn from labor organizing activities in recent years, was not involved in the work stoppage.

For guidance on what to do in the event of a work stoppage or labor dispute, contact Western Growers.

Department of Labor Announces Proposal to Revoke Arizona’s State OSHA Plan

April 21st, 2022

On April 20, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposal to reconsider or revoke Arizona’s state OSHA plan. If implemented, it would lead to federal OSHA taking over regulation of private employers in the state.

Arizona, California and New Mexico are among the 22 states that have their own OSHA State Plan agencies that regulate private employers. Under the OSH Act, State Plans are monitored by OSHA and must be at least as effective as OSHA in protecting workers and in preventing work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths.

OSHA monitors and evaluates State Plans annually to determine whether the State Plan is continuing to operate at least as effectively as OSHA, track a State Plan’s progress in achieving its strategic and annual performance goals, and ensure that the State Plan is meeting its mandated responsibilities under the Act and other relevant regulations. Where OSHA determines that a state plan is failing to regulate and or adequately enforce occupational health and safety regulations, the agency may initiate proceedings to revoke approval of the State Plan and reinstate federal OSHA authority.

According to DOL’s press release “OSHA has grown increasingly concerned that actions by the Arizona State OSHA Plan suggest the state is either unable or unwilling to maintain its commitment to provide a program for worker safety and health protection as the OSH Act requires. OSHA indicate that Arizona has failed to adopt adequate maximum penalty levels, occupational safety and health standards, National Emphasis Programs and – most recently – the COVID-19 Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard.”

The agency contends that Arizona has engaged in a “nearly a decade-long pattern of failures to adopt and enforce standards and enforcement policies at least as effective as [federal OSHA’s]”.  DOL’s action may have been due to Arizona’s failure to respond to OSHA’s October 19, 2021 “courtesy letter” concerning the State’s failure to adopt OSHA’s COVID-19 healthcare emergency temporary standard (ETS) within 30 days of its June 21, 2021 publication in the Federal Register. South Carolina and Utah also received such letters, however those States responded by issuing ETSs.

OSHA’s proposal on Arizona decertification is available for public inspection in the Federal Register and will be published on April 21, 2022; publication starts the revocation process. The public can comment on the proposal until May 26, 2022, and an online hearing may be held on August 16, 2022. After reviewing comments and other evidence, OSHA will announce its reconsideration and revocation decision on the final approval of Arizona’s State plan through another Federal Register notice.

DHS Extends COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for H-2A Workers and other Non-U.S. Travelers

April 22nd, 2022

On April 21, 2022, DHS announced it will extend requirements and continue to require non-U.S. travelers entering the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination upon request. These requirements will continue to apply to H-2A workers and other non-U.S. travelers who are traveling both for essential and non-essential reasons.  There is no expiration date for the extended requirement.  DHS said it will closely monitor all relevant circumstances, including the effect of these requirements, and may amend or rescind the requirements at any time.

The DHS published the continuation of the vaccination policy in the Federal Register.

Non-U.S. travelers entering the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals, whether for essential or non-essential reasons, must continue to:

  • verbally attest to their COVID-19 vaccination status;
  • provide, upon request, proof of a CDC-approved COVID-19 vaccination, as outlined on the CDC website;
  • present a valid Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant document, such as a valid passport, Trusted Traveler Program card, or Enhanced Tribal Card; and,
  • be prepared to present any other relevant documents requested by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer during a border inspection.

COVID-19 testing is not required to enter the United States via a land port of entry or ferry terminal.

Western Growers strongly encourages employers of H-2A workers to facilitate COVID-19 booster shots for their employees while they are in the U.S. in the event boosters become required.

If you would like to learn more about the H-2A program or providing COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots, please contact Western Growers so we can connect you with appropriate resources.

Best Practices: Part 1, Screening H-2A Applicants in the U.S.

April 22nd, 2022

The current AEWR is different from one state to another. For example, in California, the current wage offered for H-2A workers is $17.51 and in states like Alabama or South Carolina it’s $11.99. This disparity in wage rates can result in H-2A workers seeking better options, applying for a job directly with H-2A employers offering higher wages while the workers are still in the United States under a current labor certification.

As an H-2A employer, you may wonder if you are obligated to respond to these inquiries; if the applicant can change his employer; and ultimately if you do want to hire the applicant, how can you petition to bring them onto your labor certification.

Best Practices 

As an H-2A employer, you have an obligation to respond to these inquiries.

To ensure that you do not inadvertently discriminate against someone who qualifies as a “U.S. worker” by virtue of having legal status in the U.S., you must ask them (preferably by email): Do you currently have authorization to work in the U.S. without sponsorship?   

Employers who receive unsolicited inquiries about H-2A job opportunities from individuals located inside the U.S. should take the following steps: 

  • Respond politely to the email or phone call. Thank them for their interest. Ask them to confirm whether they are currently legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship by confirming they have met one of the following criteria: 
    • Natural born U.S. citizen or a naturalized citizen; 
    • Permanent resident alien;  
    • Refugee/asylee/temporary protected status; or 
    • Any other category that permits them to work legally.   
  • Inform them that eligibility to obtain an H-2A visa in a foreign country does not qualify as having work authorization.  
  • Ask the applicant to reply by email with their complete name and contact information if they believe they meet the above qualifications and still wish to be considered for the position.  

Having documented evidence of the company’s responses to such contacts included as part of the employer’s recruitment log will help demonstrate that the employer is taking seriously its obligation to determine the availability of U.S. workers for the job opportunity. 

If the applicant holds an H-2A visa, it will disqualify them as they are approved to work only with their current employer, the following applies to them:

  • H-2A workers can only work for the employer, the application, and the dates that are stated on their H-2A Visa.
  • The workers are not able to move from one employer to another if they have absconded their current employer.
  • If they decide to abandon their work, they must return to their country of origin within a short time to avoid any immigration consequences for overstaying their work visa.

Read our next newsletter “Best Practices: Part 2, Transfer of H-2A workers” where we will answer if it’s possible to transfer them to your labor certification from a different employer.

For questions about H-2A program compliance or Western Growers H-2A Services, please contact Jason Resnick ([email protected]).   

Voices of the Valley: How Technology Can Increase Farming’s Impact

April 4th, 2022

IRVINE, CALIF. (April 4, 2022) – The past month’s episodes of Voices of the Valley, the podcast hosted by Dennis Donohue, the Director of Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology, and Candace Wilson, Regional Director at Farmers Business Network, feature six agricultural leaders discussing how they use technology to increase food safety, crop yield – and help spread the reach of the industry via social media.

USDA veteran Barbara Cassens shares several shares several “out of the box” methods for advancing food safety, preventing outbreaks andcontaminations and minimizing the exposure of risk to consumers.

Western Growers VP of Innovation Walt Duflock discusses the progress on automation around harvest – helping out in the field – and automation to harvest – actual harvest robots.

Mariana Vasconcelos, an agtech prodigy who started her ag data company Agrosmart when she was 23 years old, provides a look into how the digital revolution is accelerating a cultural shift in agriculture globally.

Haden Coleman, who recently wrote an award-winning essay on the power of technology in advancing agriculture, speaks about the importance of using social media for consumer education.

Larry Taylor, Co-Founder of The Yield Lab Asia Pacific, and Mark DeSantis, CEO at Bloomfield Robotics, bust the myth that artificial intelligence isn’t as adaptable as human intelligence when it comes to managing the health of specialty crops

Embed codes for the podcasts are available below:

Barbara Cassens

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Walt Duflock

<iframe src=”https://anchor.fm/voicesofthevalley/embed/episodes/Are-Farm-Robots-Making-a-Dent-in-the-Agriculture-Labor-Gap-e1ffj88” height=”102px” width=”400px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”></iframe>

Mariana Vasconcelos

<iframe src=”https://anchor.fm/voicesofthevalley/embed/episodes/Navigating-Climate-Change-A-Guide-on-How-to-Use-Technology-to-Foster-Climate-Resilient-Agriculture-e1fphnk” height=”102px” width=”400px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”></iframe>

Haden Coleman

<iframe src=”https://anchor.fm/voicesofthevalley/embed/episodes/Using-Social-Media-to-Educate-the-Masses-about-Agriculture-e1g3a1t” height=”102px” width=”400px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”></iframe>

Larry Taylor and Mark DeSantis

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About Western Growers:

Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Western Growers’ members and their workers provide over half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. Connect and learn more about Western Growers on Twitter and Facebook

 

CDFA Offers New Online Tool to Make Application Process for Climate Smart Ag Programs More Efficient

April 21st, 2022

The California Department of Food and Agriculture, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the Conservation Biology Institute have released a new web-based tool to provide farmers and ranchers with essential information about applications for climate smart agriculture programs.

The tool is named RePlan: Regional Conservation and Development Planning Tool, and it combines site location technology and environmental data sets to assist applicants in determining eligible soil management practices, location and analysis tools. The website features a user-friendly map for users to explore, screen and efficiently identify regions for analysis, comparison and reporting.

RePlan developers created functionality intended for two CDFA programs: The Healthy Soils Program and the Alternative Manure Management Program.

New VofV Episode: Agtech’s Role in Combating Climate Change

April 26th, 2022

Sarah Nolet, Co-Founder and General Partner at Sydney, Australia-based VC firm Tenacious Ventures, focuses on investing in early-stage agtech startups with an eye towards how they will help provide innovations to assist with the ramifications of climate change.

“Ag can actually be a solution for a lot of the challenges we’re facing,” Nolet says in this episode of Voices of the Valley, noting that growers are in a unique position where they can simultaneously work to reduce emissions and be proactive to prevent additional climate disruption.

While advocating for biodiversity, water quality improvement and carbon capture technologies, Nolet says it is important to not let perfection be the enemy of progress – and to also acknowledge that there is no silver bullet because “nature will be ahead of us no matter what.” 

To hear more from Nolet, listen here.