May 22nd, 2023
The USDA has shared information to assist growers who were impacted by a natural disaster in 2022 to collect the necessary documents to prepare for participating in the Emergency Relief Program (ERP), which will distribute the $3.7 billion from the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced plans to begin the process of allocation soon.
To prepare for ERP participation for 2022 losses, the USDA recommends that crop producers should have or be prepared to have the following forms on file with FSA:
- Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet (as applicable to the program participant);
- Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity;
- Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable); and
- Form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages producers to have their tax documents from the past few years and supporting materials ready including Schedule F (Form 1040) and Profit or Loss from Farming or similar tax documents. Producers who received ERP assistance are required to purchase crop insurance or NAP for the next two crop years.
For more information, go to the USDA resource page here.
Tags: USDA
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May 2nd, 2023
The 2023 Western Growers Annual Meeting is open for sponsorship opportunities. This is an exceptional opportunity to build awareness of your brand through face-to-face networking with the agricultural industry’s elite leaders from hundreds of organizations. Share your company’s message with the brightest minds in the fresh produce industry, including hundreds of Western Growers members, the Board of Directors and Western Growers’ executive leadership.
Sponsors experience the benefits of capturing the attention of key decision makers, connecting with Western Growers members, developing new connections within the industry and getting questions answered in real time.
Western Growers is committed to delivering a valuable sponsorship program that maximizes exposure and provides unique, intimate networking experiences.
To learn more about Western Growers Annual Meeting sponsorship opportunities, please review our Sponsorship Guide, or contact Kim Stuart at [email protected] or 949-885-2265.
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May 17th, 2023
Western Growers is a platinum sponsor of the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) Symposium on June 20-21, 2023 at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead, Ga. Western Growers is offering four tickets to food safety professionals from member companies, which includes entry to the VIP dinner.
The two-day event will feature discussions and presentations on the latest advancements in produce safety research, as well as opportunities to network with professionals from industry, government, and academia.
For member food safety professionals who are interested in securing a ticket, contact Sonia Salas at [email protected] as soon as possible. Tickets will be given on a first-come, first-basis.
Learn more about the CPS Symposium here.
Tags: Food Safety
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May 2nd, 2023
David Gill, Owner of Gills Onions and Rio Farms, will be joining the 2023 Salinas Biological Summit on Jun 20-21, 2023. Gills Onions is one of the largest and most innovative fresh-cut onion processing plants in the world. Along with Gills Onions, David owns Rio Farms, which grows a variety of crops including lettuce, spring mix, spinach, cauliflower and peppers. Between Rio Farms and Gills Onions, Gill’s two farms rank among the top 10 growers in the Western United States.
The Salinas Biological Summit is a unique unification of interested parties, from growers, venture capital investors, scientists and startups. David Gill offers a wide range of valuable information to share sure to guarantee rich insight into the grower’s perspective on biological application and practicality.
Purchase tickets, reserve accommodations and learn more about the Summit here.
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May 18th, 2023
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed AB 113, which is the supplemental language that was negotiated with the Governor, the UFW, and the California Labor Federation prior to his signing of AB 2183, the card check bill. Agricultural employers were excluded from that discussion.
AB 113 removes the mail-in voting option and labor-peace election procedures from the statute. Importantly, the card check, appellate bond and penalty provisions remain in the bill. The bill also limits the number of card check elections to 75 between now and Jan. 1, 2028 which is the date that the bill sunsets.
WG voiced strenuous opposition to this unusual agreement during the Senate hearing on AB 113 and specifically called out that this agreement was made behind closed doors without public input, removes the mail-in voting option which legislators touted last year, and places an inherently unfair appellate bond process in front of employers as a way to block their appeal rights.
A draft of the bill can be read by clicking here.
Tags: California, Card Check, Politics
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May 17th, 2023
In an annual ritual, the WG Board of Directors and Future Volunteer Leaders visited Washington D.C. last week to advocate with our elected representatives on behalf of the agriculture industry.
Coverage of the D.C. Fly-In can be found on the Western Growers LinkedIn page, as well as on the LinkedIn of Jonathan Sarager, Western Growers’ Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs.
Tags: Politics
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May 16th, 2023
Adam Bergman ─ Managing Director, Clean Energy Transition Group and the Global Head of AgTech at Investment Banking, Citi ─ joins Dennis Donohue and Candace Wilson on this week’s episode of Voices of the Valley.
The topic of agtech and cleantech to address issues like climate change is a global endeavor, Adam says. Countries like Israel, Brazil and the United States are all players in creating and utilizing sustainable agricultural practices, and a collaboration of effort toward a sustainable future is an asset.
And all roads lead back to the farmer. “The farmer of the future is going to be someone with an iPad in their hand,” Bergman says. But every agtech solution should be developed and brought to market with grower input to ensure value, usability and return.
Listen to this week’s episode of Voices of the Valley here.
Tags: Ag Tech
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May 16th, 2023
The robots are coming (because labor is still hard to find)!
Jennifer Marston put a good article together for AgFunderNews discussing the increased investment in automation by farmers and some of the main reasons. Two of the highlights: (1) 70 percent of survey respondents said they invested in automation in 2022; and (2) the average annual spend by farmers on automation increased from $350,000-$400,000 to $450,000-$500,000 from 2021 to 2022. Much of this investment is for weeding robots and harvest assist robots – both are in market with pricing that works for growers.
At the same time, demand is likely to increase because labor costs continue to increase and there’s an ongoing labor challenge around availability. Increased use of H-2A immigrant labor can help, but will not solve the labor shortage. Nearly half (45 percent) of survey respondents are using automation solutions for at least some of their weeding activity, and weeding robot startups like Carbon Robotics, Stout, Verdant, and Farmwise have raised significant capital to scale their operations.
Here is a link to the article by Jennifer. Jennifer sourced a lot of the data from the Specialty Crop Automation Report which Western Growers published last month. The report can be found here – https://www.agharvestreport.com/
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May 2nd, 2023
Dr. Helene Dillard will be bringing her expertise to the 2023 Salinas Biological Summit on June 20-12, 2023. In her time serving as the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California Davis, Helene has led the College to achieve a No. 1 ranking in agriculture in the nation for the past seven years.
She completed her B.S. degree in biology of natural resources at UC Berkeley, an M.S. degree in soil science at UC Davis, and a Ph.D. degree in plant pathology at UC Davis where she studied the biology and management of Sclerotinia minor on lettuce in the Salinas Valley.
During her career, Helene’s research focused on the biology, ecology and management of fungal pathogens that cause diseases in vegetable crops. Her interests include sustainable disease management strategies, integrated pest management, epidemiology and host/pathogen/ environment interactions.
Her extensive depth of knowledge makes for a must-hear speaking event at the Biological Summit.
Purchase tickets, reserve accommodations and learn more about the Summit here.
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May 2nd, 2023
Undersecretary for the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Christine Birdsong joins Dennis Donohue and Candace Wilson on this week’s episode of Voices of the Valley to discuss her role and initiatives to support California agriculture on key points like sustainable pest management, water (whether drought or flood), supply chain difficulties and an aging workforce.
Birdsong shares her insight about her work on the Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap: “From my perspective, a really important thing to come out of this work group was an agreement that, number one, pest prevention is the best way, is the most sustainable pest management practice. If we can keep invasive pests from coming into California, then we don’t use a drop of any kind of pesticide.”
She encourages everyone to read the roadmap, which you can find here.
Listen to this week’s episode of Voices of the Valley here.
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May 30th, 2023
Early bird pricing for the Western Growers Annual Meeting is open until July 31, 2023!
This year’s event at the Grand Hyatt Kauai is one that you will not want to miss. Attended by key decision-makers from Western Growers member companies, the Annual Meeting brings growers, shippers and processors together with allies and suppliers in the fresh produce industry.
Do not delay in registering for this marquee industry event or booking a room at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa. With room rates starting at $335, we do expect to sell out!
For the latest updates on session topics, featured speakers and registration information, visit www. wgannualmeeting.com.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Strengthen your company brand, reinforce your relationships with existing customers and build new connections with potential customers and other industry leaders by sponsoring the Annual Meeting. Western Growers is committed to delivering a valuable sponsorship program that maximizes exposure and provides unique, intimate networking experiences.
Please click here to learn more about our sponsorship opportunities or contact Assistant Vice President, Membership Kim Stuart at [email protected].
Tags: Annual Meeting
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May 10th, 2023
The Agriculture Workforce Coalition released the following statement:
”The House has announced plans to move forward with H.R. 2, the “Secure the Border Act,” which includes mandatory electronic verification for all new hires, re-hires of seasonal workers, and if a Social Security Number is used with multiple employers. Farmers share the goal of a verified workforce, but agricultural labor reforms also must be enacted prior to any mandatory electronic verification system to avoid severe consequences for our nation’s food supply.
“The AWC cannot support such a measure without essential reforms being enacted, including stability for the current workforce, which as drafted this mandatory electronic verification system would decimate, as well as significant improvements to the H-2A guestworker program to secure program access for year-round producers and address the outdated wage formula. Reform has been consistently urged by farmers for decades. Without these vital solutions, this provision will harm many labor-dependent family farms across the U.S. and the consumers who rely upon them.
“We look forward to working with Congress on workable legislation that would provide solutions to the agricultural labor crisis while also achieving a verified workforce.”
About the Agriculture Workforce Coalition
The Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) brings together organizations representing the diverse needs of agricultural employers across the country. AWC serves as the unified voice of agriculture in the effort to ensure that America’s farmers, ranchers and growers have access to a stable and secure workforce. For more information, please visit www.agworkforcecoalition.org.
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May 23rd, 2023
June has been designated as National Safety Month by the National Safety Council. This event is intended to increase awareness of workplace safety topics and reinforce our collaborative responsibility to keep each other safe. Safety is everyone’s responsibility!
Starting on June 1st, there will be a four-part weekly series in the Spotlight newsletter following the topics designated for National Safety Month. The topics are:
Week 1: Emergency Preparedness – Planning and training are the most critical steps to ensure appropriate actions are taken when an emergency occurs.
Week 2: Slips, Trips, Falls – A frequent cause of significant workplace injury and associated costs, these types of incidents are often preventable.
Week 3: Heat-Related Illness – According to OSHA, heat illness is a serious occupational hazard that affects workers in many industries, especially those who work outdoors or in hot indoor environments.
Week 4: Hazard Recognition – Being able to spot hazards and implement appropriate corrective action can mean the difference between injury and safety.
Tags: Health and Safety Rules
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May 23rd, 2023
The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) recently posted a factsheet on the Produce Safety Rule subpart E entitled “Agricultural Water System Inspection is Different from the Proposed Agricultural Water Assessment.” According to PSA, “This fact sheet provides information about the differences between an Agricultural Water System Inspection (§ 112.42) and the proposed Agricultural Water Assessment (AgWA) from the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR).
You can find the final factsheet here.
The PSA also needs your help with the following surveys to develop education materials that are relevant and timely:
- PSA/NECAFS Lookback Survey (available in English and Spanish) to help understand the costs and barriers of beginning or expanding food safety practices on farms and packinghouses. The results from this international survey will help to inform the development of educational materials. The survey is set to close June 1st, depending on the number of responses received!
- A very short Spanish-language survey to ask stakeholders to rank Spanish-language podcast topics. Please circulate to your Spanish-speaking stakeholders (including growers and educators).
WGA cares about food safety in our industry and food safety at home. If you have any concerns about food safety compliance or your organization’s food safety plan, please contact Sonia Salas at [email protected].
Tags: Food Safety
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May 25th, 2023
Dave Puglia, President & CEO of Western Growers, will be contributing to the conversation about the future of food on Pairwise’s webinar The Launch of CRISPR Food: What’s in store for producers and retailers? on June 13, 2023, at 10 a.m. PDT.
Dave will join Haven Baker, CBO and Co-Founder, Pairwise; Laurie Demeritt, Chief Executive Officer, The Hartman Group; Vonnie Estes, VP of Innovation, International Fresh Produce Association; and Neil Merritt, VP of Sales, Pairwise.
The conversation will explore what this produce game-changer means for the future of food, how it can be used to help address some of the biggest challenges being faced by producers, what the entry of CRISPR produce means for retail, and how consumers are reacting.
Sign up for this free webinar here.
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May 24th, 2023
Paul Brierley has been nominated by Governor Katie Hobbs to serve as the Arizona Director of the Department of Agriculture. As Director, Paul will be responsible for overseeing the success of Arizona’s agriculture industry and its overlap with business, natural resources and public health.
Paul’s extensive experience – both working on his family farm and for farms as Director of Organization for the Farm Bureau and Executive Director of the University of Arizona’s Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture – makes him a strong selection for this role.
“I’m very excited to take on this new role position serving Arizona agriculture like I have been in various roles over the past 30 years,” Brierley told Western Growers about his new position. “Working closely with Western Growers over the past nine years has been invaluable in my understanding of the issues that need to be addressed. My door will always be open to production agriculture.”
“Mr. Brierley represents the best of our agriculture industry here in Arizona,” said Gov. Hobbs. “With both personal and professional experience in the industry, I have no doubt that Mr. Brierley will successfully lead our Department of Agriculture with diligence, respect, and a deep understanding of the work involved.”
Tags: Arizona
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May 30th, 2023
Josh Ruiz, Senior Director of Ag Technology and Innovation at Duda Farm Fresh Foods, shares how he views challenges and opportunities in his role to be an actor of change in agriculture on this week’s episode of Voices of the Valley.
“Technology isn’t just about robots, machines and tractors all the time”, Ruiz says, “but sometimes it’s about being smarter and analyzing data. My team and I have done a lot of deep dives into data to take away the gut feeling that farming comes naturally. We tend to run with our guts a lot in farming as an industry, and my team and I have been able to find ways to analyze the data, collect data we weren’t collecting before and truly make some decisions that are data driven, not gut driven.”
Ruiz talks about the value of recognizing the things you don’t know what you don’t know and the importance of taking a chance and shoot for it.
At the core of his efforts, a sentiment comes forward: “I want the industry to be better off when I leave this industry than when I started. I hope that others start coming along.”
Listen to this week’s episode of Voices of the Valley with Dennis Donohue and Candace Wilson here.
Tags: Ag Tech
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May 30th, 2023
Dr. Hillary Q. Thomas will be joining the 2023 Salinas Biological to contribute her unique problem-solving abilities to help find sustainable biological solutions.
Dr. Thomas builds and implements commercial agricultural research programs and provides scientifically sound deliverables. Her strategic scientific approach helps growers and shippers meet customer and regulatory expectations in a manner that is both economically viable and sustainable. She believes that “the best outcomes come from the harmonization of science, policy and innovation.”
She is currently the Research and Technical Director at Naturipe Berry Growers, Inc. where she develops and implements applied agricultural research and extension programs for berry crops. She is an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) expert who received her doctorate in Entomology from UC Davis in 2009. She went on to serve as a California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) fellow in the California state legislature in the office of Fiona Ma.
Purchase tickets, reserve accommodations and learn more here.
Tags: Ag Tech
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May 30th, 2023
Francisco Manzano, Director of Business Development for Nutrien Ag Solutions, will be speaking at the 2023 Salinas Biological Summit on June 20-21 to add his valuable input to the narrative of the future of biologicals in agriculture.
Nutrien Ag Solutions is the retail business of Nutrien, the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and services. Contributing to the conversation of biologicals is a part of Nutrien Ag Solutions’ continued dedication to its goal to provide the best technologies, tools and products for growers.
Francisco leads the innovation efforts under Loveland Products, with a focus on finding new technologies that are relevant to the farmer and the Loveland portfolio.
Before joining Nutrien Ag Solutions in 2022, Francisco Manzano worked for MGK, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical Company, building its Crop and Non-Crop business in the LATAM and EMEA regions. After MGK, Francisco spent eight years working in the Ag biotech space, leading the global commercial efforts of Cytozyme Laboratories as Managing Director, and Kimitec as SVP of Business Development.
Purchase tickets, reserve accommodations and learn more here.
Tags: Ag Tech
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May 9th, 2023
Alex Cochran, Chief Technology Officer at DPH Biologicals joins Dennis Donohue and Candace Wilson on this week’s episode of Voices of the Valley to discuss the realities and possibilities of utilizing biological solutions in agriculture.
In this episode, Alex shares his insight into how to optimize the benefits of biologicals, which, he says, starts with the relationship with growers: “The single biggest challenge that we have in the biological space today is around trust.” The answer to building that trust: high-quality science and aligning expectations.
Biologicals don’t function in the same way that chemistry does, and Alex takes time in this episode to discuss examples. Alex says: “The way I like to position biologicals is, they’re not chemistry. They are different. They behave differently. In some cases, they need to be handled differently, and that’s important for growers to understand from an education process.”
Listen to this week’s episode of Voices of the Valley here.
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