The September/October issue of Western Grower & Shipper Magazine is now available; print copies should be in your mailbox shortly and articles from the issue can be accessed online here.
The articles in the issue include:
September/October Issue of Western Grower & Shipper Magazine Now Available
September 20th, 2022Register Now for FIRA USA Oct. 18-20, 2022 in Fresno
September 27th, 2022The first edition of FIRA USA, the cutting-edge agtech robotics conference, will be held from Oct. 18-20, 2022 in Fresno, and Western Growers members can click here to register!
Co-sponsored by GOFAR-FIRA, the University of California and Western Growers, FIRA USA 2022 is a unique event dedicated to robotics, autonomous systems and technologies for farming. Through panels, networking and demonstrations, specialty crop growers will discover state-of-art innovations to tackle labor shortages and environmental issues.
Scheduled speakers include Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture; Walt Duflock, Vice President of Innovation at Western Growers and Mark Borman, President of Taylor Farms California.
VofV Podcast: Linking Small Farmers and Scientists on the International Stage
September 27th, 2022Dr. Eugenia Saini, the Executive Secretary of Fontagro, joins the podcast to talk about her objective of strengthening public and private strategic alliances that enhance international cooperation between scientists and farmers.
It’s a goal that requires boundless curiosity and big picture thinking; Eugenia has three degrees from the University of Buenos Aires and was a Fulbright Scholar at Cornell University. “If we’re really going to get solutions to the farmers, we need to understand how the business works,” she says. “Dedicate a few hours a week to read and learn something.”
The key to taking those learnings from the page to the real world at Fontagro, she says, is to work as a manager to effectively link small farmers and scientists. “This is a really big question…’We have funding – but why don’t we get the impact that we expect?'” Eugenia says. “Working in networks is very important because what we need to do is have more impact.”
Click here to listen to the entire episode.
Register Now for 2022 WG Annual Meeting – See the Complete Agenda!
September 27th, 2022The agenda for the 2022 Western Growers Annual Meeting, which will be held Nov. 2-5, 2022 at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, is now complete!
Among the highlights:
- Kick Off Keynote: Jennifer Sey -Speaking Out After Resigning as Global Brand President of Levi’s
- PAC Luncheon: Featuring Karl Rove
- Featured Session – When Family Farms Give Way to Outsiders
- Party with the Partners: Rat Pack Edition
- AgSharks®
- Chair’s Luncheon and Keynote: Admiral William McRaven
- Featured Session – The Promises & Challenges of New Breeding Technologies
- Award of Honor Dinner Gala Honoring John Harris
- And, of course, golf!
Click here to see the complete lineup of speakers, panels and networking activities for the 2022 WG Annual Meeting – and click here to register!
WGCIT Startups Tour GreenGate Fresh in Salinas
September 27th, 2022More than 10 tech startups from the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology toured GreenGate Fresh in Salinas, Calif. to learn first-hand about how processing plants work and what technology the facility already uses.
GreenGate Fresh is lead by Robert K. Barkley, Travis Pendleton, Jay Iverson and Keith Bazabal, who have more than 100 years of combined experience in the agriculture industry. It is this depth of experience that makes them a vital contact for WGCIT innovators.
To help our members do more with less, the WGCIT was created to help identify industry priorities, discover technologies to address those priorities, set up testing, facilitate industry feedback and communicate progress to California, Arizona and Colorado fresh produce farmers.
Learn more about the WGCIT at wginnovation.com
Join Us at the WG Annual Meeting for a Featured Session: “When Family Farms Give Way to Outsiders”
September 7th, 2022The 96th Western Growers Annual Meeting will be held from Nov. 2-5, 2022 in Las Vegas, and while the event will have plenty of opportunities for networking and entertainment, it will also host Featured Sessions to help educate members on critical issues facing our industry.
The first Featured Session, “When Family Farms Give Way to Outsiders,” will be held on Nov. 3 at 2:30 p.m.- 4 p.m.
This session will focus on the increasing number of family farmers who have decided to accept an offer from private equity investors. What factors are motivating multigenerational family farmers to seek the exits? What does the increasing presence of private equity newcomers mean for the culture and fabric of the Western produce industry and thousands of rural communities?
To register for the Annual Meeting and attend this Featured Session, please click here. Please click here to learn more about our sponsorship opportunities or please contact Assistant Vice President, Membership Kim Sherman at [email protected].
Western Growers Board of Directors Election Deadline is This Week
September 14th, 2022The deadline for casting your online 2023-2024 Board of Directors election ballot is Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Western Growers urges all members to vote!
As a member of Western Growers, your participation in the process of electing the Board of Directors is critical to our continued relevance and influence. It is through your involvement in this process that Board Members are elected to serve your district, and the entire membership, on the key issues facing our industry.
Election Ballot login credentials were sent to all member voting representatives via email on Aug. 30, 2022 and Sept. 8, 2022.
If you are the voting representative for your company, please check your email for the official secure online ballot. If you do not see the election ballot email in your inbox, check your Spam folder. Please notify Cheryl Hall if you have not received the email to vote at [email protected] or call 949-885-2268.
Complete your Electronic Ballot on or before Sept. 16, 2022. If you have questions regarding the election process, please contact Cheryl Hall.
Shipper Rights When a Breach of Contract is Claimed
September 28th, 2022What are a shipper’s rights when a buyer unloads and accepts their produce at the contract destination, but claims a breach of contract? It is imperative to remember these three facts:
- Once accepted (most commonly by the act of unloading) by an act of control, the buyer loses the right to subsequently reject and/or demand the shipper remove the product.
- The buyer must notify the shipper in a timely manner of a breach or may be barred from any contract adjustment and be required to remit the contract price.
- The buyer has the burden and responsibility to establish a breach of contract.
Breach of Contract
It is important to understand that just because the buyer has accepted the produce and lost the right of rejection, it does not mean they have lost the right to recover monetary damages. The evidence of a breach can only be determined by a USDA inspection and the shipper must be provided with the certificate timely to ascertain if a breach exists. If a breach is determined by the shipper, the buyer may negotiate a new price with the shipper based on the condition of the goods accepted, or promptly resell the product and recover damages based on the difference between the gross sales and the value the goods would have had if they had been as warranted (as determined by relevant USDA Market News reports), plus other incidental expenses incurred, such as freight and the cost of the failed USDA inspection.
Notice of a Breach
Once accepted, the buyer must, within a reasonable time after the discovery of a breach, notify the seller of the breach or be barred from any remedy.
The purpose of the rule is to defeat commercial bad faith. For example, if you, as the shipper, are notified of a breach within a reasonable time, you have the opportunity to ascertain the nature and extent of the breach, or by requesting an appeal inspection if you disagree with any inspection already performed.
“Reasonable time” with respect to notice of a breach is not explicitly defined under the PACA, however, a buyer may reject a shipment by clearly and promptly notifying the seller of the intention to do so within eight hours of arrival for a truck shipment and within 24 hours of arrival for a rail shipment. It is of course always best to secure evidence, such as a USDA inspection, showing the produce did not conform with the contract requirements to justify the rejection. Any timeframes in excess of 24 hours, and certainly over 72 hours when weekends or holidays are involved, should not be considered timely notice and the shipper should therefore communicate that to their buyer, having a dialogue if the contract should be paid in full.
One misconception shippers often have is their right, or lack thereof, to remove or take back the product when the buyer properly notifies them of a problem. Once the title passes, the seller can only regain the product if the buyer agrees to release it or rejects the product.
A second misconception involves the buyer and sellers’ responsibility in handling rejected produce. Ultimately, whoever takes possession of the shipment must make every effort to sell the produce for a reasonable value in order to mitigate losses.
If you have questions about breaches of contract or anything related, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 949.885.2392 or [email protected].
FDA Will Conduct On-Farm Surveillance Sampling of Salinas Valley Leafy Greens Starting September 19
September 7th, 2022As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan, the agency will conduct on-farm surveillance sampling of leafy greens grown in the Salinas Valley region during FY 2022-23. Under this assignment, samples only will be collected from farms and/or ranches identified by traceback investigations in recent years as being potentially associated with an outbreak in which lettuce or leafy greens were identified as the likely or suspect food vehicle.
The assignment will begin on Sept. 19, 2022 and continue through Oct. 30, 2022. The FDA plans to collect approximately 240 product samples during this time and also may collect environmental samples (e.g., scat, soil, water) when observations deem it necessary. The target commodities will include iceberg, red and green leaf, and romaine lettuces collected directly from farms. When these commodities are not available, spinach will be prioritized and other leafy greens may be collected. The agency plans to collect whole, untrimmed heads of lettuce. Trimmed, cored, wrapped, or topped-and-tailed lettuce will not be sampled. All samples collected will be tested for Salmonella spp. and E.coli 0157:H7 at the FDA labs in Alameda and Irvine, Calif.; Bothell, Wash.; and Denver, Colo.
FDA will coordinate the sampling with the farm/grower typically a few days in advance and will work with the farm personnel to seek assistance in harvesting the samples. FDA field staff will also be prepared to harvest the product themselves.
Additional details about this assignment may be found here.
In March 2022, the FDA opted against broad sampling in the Salinas Valley, but reserved the right to reassess this approach if considered necessary.
In 2021, the FDA conducted a different leafy greens sampling assignment and is releasing a summary report of the results. As part of this assignment, the agency collected lettuce from commercial coolers in the Salinas Valley growing area in California and tested samples for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. between May and November of last year. The report describes the agency’s detection of Salmonella enterica in one green leaf sample and STEC in two other samples. In all cases, potentially contaminated product was destroyed and follow-up inspections were conducted.
The Western Growers Science team is here to help. Please reach out to Afreen Malik at [email protected] if you have any questions. You may also find this document helpful as you consider this FDA surveillance sampling and its potential impact to your business.
Commentary: It is Irresponsible for Media to Portray AB 2183 as Simply “Vote by Mail” Reform
September 19th, 2022The United Farm Workers’ legislation to change the way workers vote in union elections is portrayed as simply a “vote by mail” or “vote from home” reform of the current process in which union elections occur at the workers’ place of employment under the watchful eyes of independent state regulators.
In fact, AB 2183 would eviscerate the secret ballot process. It is not surprising that the union wants to suppress this fact in the public debate. But it is irresponsible for journalists and media outlets to continue to help them do so.
Under the UFW’s legislation, the following scenario could occur: The union could pre-print every employee’s “ballot,” present them to employees at any place the union chooses (employees’ homes, church and school parking lots, etc.), persuade the employee to sign the card in favor of the union, and take the “ballot” from the employee with a promise to send it to the state agency that regulates union elections in agriculture. Would every ballot – even those where the employee voted “no union” under the watchful eyes of a union organizer – be faithfully forwarded by the union to the state agency? This is the opposite of a free and fair election, and all of this could occur completely out of sight of the state’s union election regulators.
It is incontrovertible that in any union election the workers are not the only party with a financial interest in the outcome. The employer obviously has a financial interest. But so does the union, which stands to collect three percent of every employee’s wages as union dues.
How can anyone say with a straight face that the union seeking to create a new inflow of monies from the workers should be entrusted with possession of union election ballots, allowed to see how each worker votes, and do all of that without any state election regulator being present? Apparently California’s news media can and will, that’s who.
Board of Directors D.C. Fly-in Addresses Grower Priorities
September 27th, 2022After a two-year hiatus, the Western Growers Board of Directors resumed its annual lobbying trip to Washington, D.C. last week. Over the course of three days, the delegation of board members and future volunteer leaders met with nearly two dozen congressional representatives and administration officials to elevate the needs of Western fresh produce growers.
The following major policy priorities were discussed:
- Farm Bill: The Farm Bill will be reauthorized next year. The board advocated for funding for automation research and development, research for food safety technologies and next generation crop protection tools.
- Water: WG and a coalition of Western water stakeholders secured $8 billion for Western water needs in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last year, as well as an additional $4 billion in the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act to help the Colorado River crisis. The board pressed the administration to take urgent action with the funds they now have.
- Food Safety: The board urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to move toward a prevention-driven agenda instead of its historical emphasis on inspection and enforcement actions.
- Crop Protection Tools: The board discussed the consequences of removing existing crop protection tools with viable alternatives in place and pushed for federal funding for research on biopesticides and other softer pesticides.
- Immigration: The Farm Workforce Modernization Act passed the House for the second time in 2021. The board pressed the Senate to build on the negotiations between Senators Bennet (D-Colo.) and Crapo (R-Idaho) in preparation for a potential window of opportunity during the lame duck session following the November elections.
- Ports and Trade: The Federal Maritime Commission is moving forward with implementing the Ocean Shipping Reform Act passed earlier this year. The board stressed the need for Congress and the administration to remain diligent about addressing supply chain issues while maintaining and expanding our access to high value foreign markets.
To see photos from the trip, please click here.
Governor Gavin Newsom Signs AB 2183, Guts Secret Ballot Process for Farmworkers
September 29th, 2022Gov. Gavin Newsom on Aug. 28 signed AB 2183, gutting the secret ballot process for farmworkers and submitting misleading “clarifying language” that is supposed to ensure worker protections.
After a photo op staged at the Capitol, Newsom’s office distributed a press release explaining why the governor signed the current year’s bill with the caveat that more work will be done on the legislation in 2023. It is unclear if the Governor will have the support of the legislature in the future over the promised clarifications to the bill.
In part, the Governor’s press release states: “The supplemental agreement between the Newsom Administration, UFW, and the California Labor Federation includes a cap on the number of card-check petitions over the next five years, and will allow the ALRB to adequately protect worker confidentiality and safety. This additional agreement would be codified into law with a bill next year that would be supported by both the administration and the union. The agreement will be codified with additional legislation next year backed by the union and the administration. [sic]”
AB 2183 also limits employers’ ability to challenge the submitted ballot cards, forcing employers to post a bond, and includes a presumption of retaliation if an employer disciplines, suspends, demotes, lays off, terminates, or otherwise takes adverse action against a worker during a labor organization’s representation ballot card campaign.
In a statement released by Western Growers, Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia said, in part:
“It is shameful that Governor Newsom invoked the name of Cesar Chavez in signing AB 2183. Instead of advancing the labor icon’s movement, as the Governor claimed, California has officially unraveled Chavez’s legacy, striking at the heart of his greatest political objective and accomplishment: the right of farmworkers to a state-supervised secret ballot election.
“Chavez fought for passage of the Agricultural Labor Relations Act in 1975, making California the first state in the country to give farmworkers the right to unionize. For Chavez, the key to that law – like American democracy – was the guarantee of free and fair elections shielded from intimidation and coercion by any interested party.
“AB 2183 will unleash a relentless campaign of union pressure and harassment targeting California farmworkers, less than two percent of whom have voted in state-supervised secret ballot elections to pay the UFW three percent of their wages.”
Governor Newsom Vetoes California H-2A Bill
September 30th, 2022Governor Newsom has vetoed AB 857 (by Assemblymember Ash Kalra and sponsored by the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLA)). The bill was a reintroduction of SB 1102 (by Senator Monning) which was vetoed in 2020 and would have created the California Legal Rights Disclosure Act for H-2A Farmworkers.
If passed, AB 857 would have required H-2A employers in California to provide all of their employees with a document, drafted by the California Labor Commissioner, outlining all of the existing rights that are afforded to these workers under the H-2A program as well as under California law. CRLA’s main intent in the bill was to expand when travel time was to be paid as well as providing farmworkers with tenant housing rights. Western Growers was actively engaged in negotiations with the Administration this summer on these provisions resulting in their successful removal.
A link to the AB 857 veto message is included here.
NLRB Proposes New Rule to Define Joint-Employer Status More Broadly
September 8th, 2022On Sept. 7, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) published a notice of proposed rulemaking that would change the standard for when two employers who do business together are considered to be joint employers and thus liable for the other’s unfair labor practices. The proposed rule would replace a 2020 NLRB rule that deemed an employer to be a joint employer of another entity’s workers only if it had direct and immediate control, and they actually exercised control, over the essential terms and conditions of employment of the other entity’s workers.
The Biden administration’s proposed rule would create a broader standard where even evidence of potential and indirect control over working conditions could be deemed sufficient to confer joint employer status. Under the proposed rule, two or more employers would be considered joint employers if they “share or codetermine those matters governing employees’ essential terms and conditions of employment.”
While still in the early stages of the rulemaking process – public comments being accepted through November 7 – employers subject to the National Labor Relations Act should prepare in the event this broad new standard takes effect, as soon as early next year.
For example, employers that use third party employment staffing agencies should review their contracts with those entities. An employer may be deemed a joint employer under the proposed if such agreements reserve significant aspects of control over the workforce such as wages, benefits, work conditions. Under the proposed rule, the staffing agency’s client may be deemed a joint employer even if it never actually acts on that authority.
Electronic comments may be submitted through http://www.regulations.gov.
Cal/OSHA Standards Board to Extend COVID-19 Regulations
September 16th, 2022The Cal/OSHA Standards Board is looking to extend its COVID-19 regulation once again. Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), which was first adopted November 2020, is set to expire after December 31, 2022. The Cal/OSHA Standards Board has now published, and is expected to enact, a semi-permanent rule that would replace the ETS. It is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2023.
On September 15, 2022, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board held a public hearing on the proposed rule. While preserving many of the requirements in the current ETS, the proposed rule also contemplates key changes from the ETS. Employers should be aware of these proposed changes, as well as the proposed rule’s final language, and ensure that employment policies and practices are compliant with new obligations.
The proposed rule’s requirements would expire after two years, except for certain recordkeeping provisions related to COVID-19 cases, notifications, and production of information and documents to government agencies. The proposed rule’s recordkeeping requirements would expire after three years. Thus, the COVID-19 requirements would expire on January 1, 2025, and the recordkeeping requirements would expire on January 1, 2026.
Below is summary of some of the key aspects of the proposed rule:
- The proposed rule does not include a requirement for employers to provide exclusion pay to employees who are excluded from the workplace due to COVID-19.
- The proposed rule would require employers to identify and address COVID-19 as a workplace hazard in their written injury and illness prevention plan (IIPP).
- The proposed rule leaves the ETS reporting requirements intact, and employers will need to continue to report COVID-19 cases and “outbreaks” to local health departments. However, recordkeeping requirements will be expanded such that employers will now need to keep records for all close contacts in addition to all COVID-19 cases. Employers must retain these confidential records for two years and immediately provide these records to Cal/OSHA, CDPH, local health departments, and the National Institute for Occupation Safety and Health upon request.
- The proposed rule includes language potentially providing employers with flexibility about how quickly they must notify employees, independent contractors, and any employer with an employee that they were in close contact with a COVID-19 case in the workplace.
The above list is not exhaustive and further revisions to the proposed rule may be forthcoming.
Employers should continue to comply with the current Cal/OSHA ETS requirements (including incorporated CDPH guidance) and Governor Newsom’s Executive Orders, as well as all applicable county and other local orders.
Western Growers and a coalition of agricultural groups is strongly opposing the proposed rule. In a letter to the Board, the coalition argues that the regulation is unnecessary and conflicts with other rules and guidance. industry has controlled COVID-19 outbreaks through masking, physical barriers and distancing and said most spikes are from social gatherings.
California Supreme Court Denies Review of an Appeal of Appellate Court Ruling That Bees are “Fish”
September 21st, 2022The California Supreme Court has denied a review of an appeal of a California Court of Appeal ruling from this summer that bumblebees are eligible for protection as threatened or endangered “fish” under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA).
The decision could complicate ongoing efforts to manage farmland to protect wildlife and feed the nation and the world. The four subspecies of bumblebee will now be subject to the 12-month status review process.
Paul Weiland, a lawyer for the agricultural groups challenging the ruling, told the San Francisco Chronicle he was disappointed by Wednesday’s court order.
“We are also concerned that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which for years took the public position that insects cannot be listed, is ill-equipped to handle the petitions to protect a range of insects that are headed its way and does not have the budget or expertise to do so,” Weiland said.
It is noteworthy that of the seven Supreme Court justices one voted to grant review and three signed on to a statement of explanation of their decision as follows. While this is little consolation, the Court went out of its way not to endorse the panel decision and also to suggest that the legislature could address the issue.
In her Statement, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye said:
“Our denial of a petition for review does not communicate any particular view regarding the merits of the issues presented in the petition. Thus, all should understand that our decision to deny review in this case is not an endorsement (nor is it a rejection) of the statutory analysis undertaken by the Court of Appeal, which determined that bumble bees, a nonaquatic invertebrate, are susceptible to being listed as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act … because that statute applies to fish …, and “invertebrates” are included within what the Court of Appeal deemed to be the applicable definition of “fish” … (Almond Alliance of California v. Fish & Game Com. (2022) 79 Cal.App.5th 337, 341.)
In June, the appellate court reversed the trial court’s ruling in favor of Western Growers and six other agricultural groups. The trial court had concluded that the CESA, which extends to fish, mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and plants does not extend to insects. That view is shared in previous positions taken by the Office of Administrative Law, the Office of the Attorney General, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Writing for the court of appeal, Associate Justice Ronald Robie, said that “[a]lthough the term fish is colloquially and commonly understood to refer to aquatic species, the term of art employed by the Legislature in the definition of fish [as defined in the CESA] is not so limited.”
The court of appeal was not persuaded by evidence that when the California legislature overhauled the CESA in 1984, it considered adding insects and plants to the categories of protected species and expressly decided to add plants, but not insects. The reports of the legislative committees that produced the CESA bill language plainly stated that insects cannot be listed as threatened or endangered species.
California Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Extended To Dec. 31, 2022
September 30th, 2022Correction: A previous version of this article erroneously stated in the title that SPSL was extended through 2023. AB 152 extends SPSL through Dec. 31, 2022.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 152 extending COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) through the end of 2022. The bill will also provide relief to small businesses incurring the costs of of paying SPSL.
AB 152 extends California’s COVID-19 SPSL to December 31, 2022. The current California SPSL law codified in Labor Code Section 248.6 was set to expire on September 30, 2022.
The SPSL law requires employers to provide 40 hours of COVID-19 SPSL to full-time employees, or the number of hours that an employee regularly works in one week for employees who are not employed full-time but scheduled to work regularly. Full-time employees may further receive an additional 40 hours of SPSL if they test positive for COVID-19 and cannot work remotely.
Under the current law, an employer may require that an employee who has received additional SPSL to submit to a second COVID test on or after the fifth day after the positive test that allowed the leave. AB 152 amends the law to allow an employer in cases where the second test is positive, to require a third test within 24 hours. Employers will now be allowed to deny additional COVID-19 SPSL to an employee who refuses to submit to the tests. Additional tests must be provided by the employer at no cost to the employee. Employers are not required to provide new or additional SPSL to employees who have already used all of their 2022 COVID-19 sick pay allotment.
In addition, AB 152 establishes the California Small Business and Nonprofit COVID-19 Relief Grant Program within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). The program will provide grants of up to $50,000, but “no more than the actual costs incurred for” SPSL between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022, to qualified small businesses and nonprofit organizations with 26 to 49 employees.
Western Growers Debuts ‘Water for Farms’ Online Video Series
September 6th, 2022IRVINE, CALIF. (Sept. 6, 2022) – Western Growers is debuting five documentary short videos online today that give first-hand accounts of how the unrelenting historic drought is hurting Caifornia farmers.
Produced in association with the California Farm Water Coalition, the videos show the drought’s impact on consumers via stories from Booth Ranches in Orange Cove, Calif., Del Bosque Farms in Firebaugh, Calif.; HMC Farms in Kingsburg, Calif. and Woolf Farming in Huron, Calif.
The videos are available in their entirety now on the Western Growers YouTube channel, and will be rolled out on WG and CFWC social platforms over the next month. Click here for a playlist of all the videos; links for individual videos and their embed codes are available below.
Water for Farms overview
The current drought has exposed what happens when we fail to prepare. California farmers are now facing drastic cuts in water. Without water, there will be less food on our grocery store shelves.
<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ogRebK-kTEw” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>
Booth Ranches: Oranges
Almost 90 percent of the fresh oranges we buy in store come from California. This year, Booth Ranches has already pulled out 100 acres of healthy orange trees, with potentially more on the way.
<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/G8WiFsmKCjs” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>
Del Bosque Farms: Cantaloupes
This year, Del Bosque Farms cut back on cantaloupe production by 15 percent. That represents 3 million pounds of cantaloupes gone from your grocery store shelves.
<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/I38uKHDsDpk” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>
HMC Farms: Plums
HMC Farms ripped out 100 acres of plum trees this year, which represents the annual consumption of one million Americans.
<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/cuswulYeid4” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>
Woolf Farming: Tomatoes
Woolf Farming cut back its tomato production by 50 percent this year. Fewer tomatoes mean you’ll be paying more for your ketchup, pizza sauce and tomato soup.
<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/5GHNmT9dtEM” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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For more information, please contact: Ann Donahue (949) 302-7600 |
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.
Robots to conquer Fresno fields at FIRA USA in October 2022
September 14th, 2022The beginnings of a robotics revolution in the agricultural world will take place in California on Oct. 18-20.
Over 800 people who work in the food system, technology experts and others are expected to gather at FIRA USA in Fresno, Calif., to
discover the latest self-sustaining solutions to farm labor shortages and environmental challenges.
They will be joined by representatives of the University of California, Western Growers, Fresno-Merced Future of Food (F3) and the City of Fresno. Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary, will kick off FIRA USA by outlining challenges to the food system that technology may address.
FIRA stands for “Forum International de la Robotique Agricole” in French, or “International Forum for Agricultural Robotics,” and was launched in 2016 in Toulouse, in the south of France. Since then, GOFAR organizes the World FIRA every year in Toulouse, and launches regional FIRA around the World to address specific markets.
More information and registration is available here: https://www.fira-agtech.com/c/fira
Statement of Western Growers on Signing of AB 2183
September 29th, 2022IRVINE, CALIF. (Sept. 29, 2022) – Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of AB 2183 into law, Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia issued the following statement:
“It is shameful that Governor Newsom invoked the name of Cesar Chavez in signing AB 2183. Instead of advancing the labor icon’s movement, as the Governor claimed, California has officially unraveled Chavez’s legacy, striking at the heart of his greatest political objective and accomplishment: the right of farmworkers to a state-supervised secret ballot election.
“Chavez fought for passage of the Agricultural Labor Relations Act in 1975, making California the first state in the country to give farmworkers the right to unionize. For Chavez, the key to that law – like American democracy – was the guarantee of free and fair elections shielded from intimidation and coercion by any interested party.
“Rather than seeking ‘a collaborative approach among all relevant stakeholders’ to address the ‘various inconsistencies and procedural issues related to the collection and review of ballot cards,’ as outlined in the Governor’s veto message of AB 616 (the UFW’s 2021 card check bill), the UFW and California Legislature pushed forward an even more flawed form of card check, which is effectively forced union submission for farmworkers disguised as mail-in voting.
“To quote language in AB 2183: ‘A labor organization representative may fill out all of the information in a mail ballot.’ Thus the union – with a clear financial stake in the outcome – will displace the state as supervisor of the ‘election.’ So called ‘clarifying language’ would simply remove the mail-in voting option for farmworkers altogether rather than implement a mail-in voting process with integrity measures to ensure genuine protections for farmworkers.
“AB 2183 will unleash a relentless campaign of union pressure and harassment targeting California farmworkers, less than two percent of whom have voted in state-supervised secret ballot elections to pay the UFW three percent of their wages.”
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.
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