Yuma, Get Ready: Western Growers Offering Two Food Safety Workshops in September 

August 5th, 2025

 

Join Western Growers in Yuma on September 23, 2025, for a two-part workshop focused on building stronger food safety programs from the ground up. Whether you’re optimizing sampling protocols or managing compliance across teams, these sessions are designed to deliver practical tools and science-backed strategies for real-world impact. See the session details below.

Sampling and Testing Foundations Workshop 

Joelle Mosso, AVP of Science, and Gustavo Reye, Sr., Manager of Food Safety and Predictive Analytics for the Sampling & Testing Foundations Workshop, will dive into the foundational principles of food safety sampling and testing. From sample collection strategies to real-world pathogen detection challenges. This interactive session provides an applicable framework, helping participants understand how to design, monitor, and verify testing programs.  

Whether you’re refining your sampling program, exploring and understanding your detection methods, or aiming to enhance verification systems, this workshop will equip you with the tools and context to make your testing program not just a requirement, but a reliable decision-making tool. 

Session details: September 23rd, 8:00 am – 11:00 am
University of Arizona Yuma Agricultural Center (6425 W 8th St, Yuma, AZ 85364).

Management Strategies for Food Safety Workshop

Navigating food safety compliance while meeting production goals is no easy task, but the right knowledge can make all the difference.

Joelle Mosso, AVP of Science Programs at Western Growers, will equip leaders with the skills to confidently manage the dual responsibilities of food safety compliance and production demands. Gain a clear understanding of the qualifications necessary for food safety roles, the scientific principles behind food safety, and the strategies for balancing regulatory adherence and production goals.

Participants will have practical tools to foster a culture of compliance and efficiency, helping you protect consumers and optimize operations. If you’re a business owner, senior executive, HR professional, operations manager, food safety manager, or supervisor, this workshop is for you. 

Session details: September 23rd, 1:00 pm -3:00 pm
University of Arizona Yuma Agricultural Center (6425 W 8th St, Yuma, AZ 85364).

Register here

 

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Western Growers Awarded $486,000 from USDA to Create Sustainable Fresh Produce Packaging Alignment Across North America

August 7th, 2025

IRVINE, CALIF. (Aug. 7, 2025) – Western Growers (WG) was awarded $486,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of the 2025 Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program, which will allow WG to spearhead a partnership between fresh produce industry stakeholders to develop and implement sustainable fresh produce packaging alignment across North America. The TASC program funds U.S. entities to conduct projects to resolve barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S. specialty crops.

“The current landscape for sustainable produce packaging is an incongruent mish-mash of contradictory regulations that differ between retailers in different countries, as well as between federal and state governments,” said Dr. Jeana Cadby, Director of Environment and Climate at WG. “It is critical that we maintain the functionality of fresh produce packaging while innovating for sustainability to bring safe, fresh produce from farms to the tables of consumers. Thanks to this funding from the USDA, we can continue the important work of collaborating with retailers, packaging suppliers, technology companies and growers to reach sustainability goals that can realistically apply across the supply chain.”

The funding will continue the work started in June 2024, when WG joined forces with the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) to form a working group, the Sustainable Produce Packaging Alignment for North America (SPPA), to address the evolving landscape of packaging requirements imposed by both governments and retailers throughout North America.

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WG Members Received Preferred Pricing for Agtonomy-Enabled Equipment

August 6th, 2025

WG members are eligible to receive discounts on seasonal rental, leasing or purchasing equipment from Agtonomy, a resident at the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology.

Agtonomy-enabled automated equipment can be used to mow, weed and haul and comes with full training, reliable support and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee for qualified growers.

“One challenge I hear consistenly from growers is the rising cost and availability of tractor drivers,” said Ben Palone, Senior Commercialization Director at Western Growers. “Agtonomy is providing great autonomous solutions, products and services for growers.”

Equipment from trusted brands like Bobcat and Kubota are in stock and ready to ship immediately; one person can oversee multiple units using the Agtonomy platform.

If interested, please reach out to [email protected]

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Rethinking the Status Quo in Food Safety Systems

August 5th, 2025

We’ve built food safety systems on rules, checklists and audits, efforts that have brought real structure to the fresh produce industry. But one uncomfortable truth remains: improvement isn’t showing up as much as we’d hoped.

Across the supply chain, food safety professionals face growing pressure, navigating shifting requirements without clear direction or shared understanding. And while compliance has its place, it doesn’t guarantee progress.

If we want real change, we need more than routine. We need leadership, clarity and smarter systems designed to meet today’s risks and tomorrow’s challenges.

Isn’t it time we ask what better could look like?

 

 

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