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AZDA to Hold Annual Regional Stakeholder Meetings
The Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) will hold several Regional Stakeholder Meetings in November. AZDA Director Paul Brierley and his leadership team will provide agency updates, share accomplishments, discuss current challenges and hear input from participants. Growers, labor contractors, custom applicators and food safety professionals are encouraged to attend. Input shared during…
CAA Webinar Provides Overview of SB 54 Producer Fee-Setting
Circular Action Alliance (CAA) hosted a webinar this week to provide an overview of its fee-setting approach for California's packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, SB 54. The webinar covered how program costs are developed, allocated across materials and used to calculate producer fees, as well as the key principles, processes and investments supported through producer…
USDA and FBI to Host Webinar on Produce Industry Fraud Prevention
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is partnering with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to host a free webinar on fraud prevention for produce‑industry members. The webinar comes amid reports of sophisticated imposter fraud schemes targeting buyers, sellers and transporters across fruit and vegetable supply chains. Recent allegations…
Apply Now: ACRC Citrus Research Grants Available
The Arizona Citrus Research Council (ACRC) is awarding approximately $20,000 in grants to qualifying projects. ACRC will be accepting research proposals that comply with the Research Grant Program Application and Manual. Proposed projects that ACRC may authorize include: Research, development and survey programs concerning varietal development. Programs for citrus pest…
SB 54 Update: CAA Publishes 2027 Producer Fees Schedule
Circular Action Alliance (CAA) has published the 2027 Producer Fees Schedule for California, to support implementation of the state's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program and help producers prepare for program participation. This schedule, along with the 2027 Incentive Mechanism Schedule, provides producers with the information they need to understand and plan for their obligations…
CalRecycle Releases New SB 54 Online Resources
The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has published new web resources to assist entities in implementing the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54, Allen, Chapter 75, Statutes of 2022). New Local Jurisdiction / Recycling Service Provider Extensions and Exemptions Webpage This site provides step-by-step guidance and…
IR-4 Receives $10 Million USDA Award to Expand Specialty Crop Export Opportunities
Five-year partnership will address pesticide residue barriers affecting U.S. specialty crop exports The IR-4 Project at North Carolina State University has received a $10 million, five-year award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) to help U.S. specialty crop growers overcome pesticide residue-related barriers to international trade. The…
Specialty Crops Encouraged by Farm Bill’s Advance
WASHINGTON, September 16, 2026 — The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry voted favorably to report the farm bill today. "The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance is grateful to Chairman Boozman and his staff for convening today’s markup and favorably reporting the Agricultural Act of…
You’re Invited: Angel Investing 101 for Western Growers Members
Western Growers and Plug and Play invite interested Western Growers members to join a one-hour educational webinar on the basics of angel investing. The session will explain how early-stage startup investing works, what investors should understand before writing an individual check, how common startup financing instruments are structured and what legal and administrative steps are typically…
Specialty Crops Express Disappointment Over Stalled Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, August 6, 2026 — The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) today issued the following statement after the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry failed to advance the farm bill. "The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance is grateful to Chairman Boozman for convening today’s markup and for including in his manager’s package an amendment offered by Sen.…
Specialty Crops Encouraged by Farm Bill Momentum
WASHINGTON, August 1, 2026 — The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement after Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry Chairman John Boozman scheduled a meeting of the full Committee to consider the farm bill on August 6, 2026. "The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance supports any step that brings us closer to enacting a bipartisan…
AZDA Director’s Administrative Order for the Diamondback Moth
The Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) has issued a Director's Administrative Order for the Diamondback Moth (Plutella xylostella). This order establishes an exterior quarantine and interior inspection procedures for brassica transplants shipped from California to certain counties in Arizona. To assist transplant shippers and producers meet the requirements listed in DAO 26-03, the…
SB 54 Update for Members: Source Reduction Reporting Guidance
Pursuant to section 42057(c)(1) of the Public Resources Code (PRC) under the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54; Allen, Chapter 75, Statutes of 2022), and 14 CCR, section 18980.9, producers of covered material must report the amount of plastic covered material they sold, offered for sale, or distributed in the state, including the number of…
Join Western Growers in Supporting the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act
Western Growers is calling on our members to add their names to the list of more than 500 nationwide stakeholder supporters of the recently introduced Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act (SAWA). Click on this link to register your support: SAWA Stakeholder Support. Introduced by House Ag Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson on June 30, 2026, SAWA would modernize the H-2A program…
Honoring the Life and Legacy of Andy D’Arrigo
Western Growers joins the fresh produce industry in mourning the passing of longtime member and former Western Growers Chair Andy D'Arrigo, 102, whose decades of leadership helped shape his family business and the fresh produce industry. Andy was a third-generation produce leader and devoted nearly 64 years to D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, the company behind the iconic Andy…
Federal Court Blocks Enforcement of California’s SB 343 Recycling Labeling Law
Coalition Secures Preliminary Injunction in Constitutional Challenge SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 15, 2026— A federal judge has blocked California from enforcing SB 343 (Allen), granting a preliminary injunction to a coalition of 21 organizations challenging the law’s restrictions on truthful recycling labels and information. Senior U.S. District Judge William Q. Hayes of the U.S.…
Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Welcomes Senate Farm Bill Discussion Draft
WASHINGTON, June 23, 2026 — The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement after the public release of legislative text for Farm Bill 2.0 by U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman. “The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance commends Chairman John Boozman and his staff for advancing the farm bill process. The…
SB 54 Update for Members: Circular Action Alliance Seeks Producer Input on Fee Setting
Farmers, packers and shippers who may be impacted by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs should be aware of a new opportunity for producer engagement. Circular Action Alliance (CAA) has launched a Producer Fee-Setting Consultation process and is establishing a Steering Committee to help inform how producer fees are developed across states. The committee's role is advisory and…
CDFA Accepting Proposals for 2026 Specialty Crop Multi-State Program
SACRAMENTO, June 15, 2026 - The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is accepting proposals for the 2026 Specialty Crop Multi-State Program. 2026 SPECIALTY CROP MULTI-STATE PROGRAM This is a federal grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service. The purpose of the program is to competitively award funds to projects that enhance…
CAA Releases PRO Plan for Advisory Board and Public Review
On June 15, 2026, Circular Action Alliance (CAA), the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) under the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (the Act; Senate Bill 54, Allen, Chapter 75, Statutes of 2022), submitted a proposed PRO plan to the advisory board for review and comment and published the proposed PRO Plan on their website. You can view a copy of…