In this episode of Voices of the Valley, Katie Chiapuzio, Director of Environmental Science and Resources at Braga Fresh, joins Jeana Cadby, Environment and Climate Director, and Kara Timmins, Communications Manager, to discuss the amazing nature of bees and how they contribute to agriculture.
Listen now to hear about some fun bee facts to share!
Call for Volunteers
Western Growers Association (WGA) and International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) are looking for volunteers to join a working group that represents cantaloupe operations (such as growing, packing, shipping, value-added and fresh-cut), industry stakeholders (such as government entities, academia and the buying community). The purpose of this group is to share feedback as well as operational and technical food safety expertise regarding updates to the existing national cantaloupe and netted melons guidelines developed in 2013.
Volunteers should expect to attend at least six virtual working group meetings over the course of April-October. The exact timing and frequency will depend on the structure and progression of the review process, which will be discussed at an in-person kick-off meeting at the WGA’s office in Irvine, California, on April 23, 2024. The rest of the timeline is still being finalized.
Next Steps to Participate
If you are interested in participating in this working group or have questions, please contact Sonia Salas at [email protected] or Emily Moyer at [email protected] by March 22, 2024. You can register for the event by clicking here.
We are looking for stakeholders interested in providing feedback during the revision process of the national document. If you are interested in attending the in-person kick-off meeting in Irvine, California, please RSVP by March 20, 2024. This meeting will offer an overview of the current state of the cantaloupe/netted melon industry and serve to formalize the timeline, working plan and format of the working group. We encourage interested parties to attend this meeting. Space is limited. RSVP as soon as possible.
Note: Given the broad distribution of this call for volunteers, you may receive this message more than once. One response to either WGA or IFPA is sufficient to confirm participation in the working group.
We are gathering preliminary data and information to assess current production/processing practices and feedback regarding potential updates. We will be conducting two short surveys and plan to summarize and present anonymized/aggregated survey results from both surveys during the kick-off meeting.
Though Exotic Fruit Fly (EFF), (including Mediterranean fruit fly, Oriental fruit fly, Queensland fruit fly and tau fruit fly) numbers are down, California dealt with an exceptionally high quantity and diversity of Exotic Fruit Flies this season. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) urges growers to stay vigilant in an effort to eradicate EFF.
The CDFA, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and various County Agricultural Commissioners are working to prevent the spread of EFF. Most recently, CDFA released the Guide for Growers (see below), which includes quarantine guidelines information, grower responsibilities, a description of CDFA led activities, and more information.
The following links have been compiled to unify the effort throughout the agricultural industry: