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Paul Couture, Innovator and Couture Farms Patriarch, Passes Away at 97
Western Growers regretfully announces the death of former board member and Couture Farms patriarch, Paul Couture, who passed away on February 2, 2015, at the age of 97. Paul was born in Modesto, California, on January 13, 1918, into a farming family and was raised on a small farm at the edge of town (his ...
Transportation Outlook Highlighted in March WG&S
The March 2015 edition of the WG&S magazine, which features a transportation outlook, is in the mail and should be in your mailbox soon. Many of the stories have been posted online on the Western Growers website. Follow the links below to access these stories. TRANSPORTATION OUTLOOK Low Fuel Rates are a Welcome Sight …But ...
AFF — Health Benefits from Produce “Absolutely Indisputable”
This week, Consumer Reports released a “Buy/Don’t Buy” report on fruits and vegetables intended to provide consumers with information on how to make the “best choices” for their health and the environment. The “Shopper’s Guide” lists dozens of produce items and attaches a pesticide risk level with each. It also stipulates whether the…
Asian Citrus Psyllid Quarantine Expanded
California has expanded the quarantine zone in Madera County to protect against the spread of the Asian citrus psyllid after an insect was found east of Madera, in the Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos area. The quarantine expansion adds 79 square miles, bringing the total quarantine area in Madera County to 179 square miles. The quarantine prohibits ...
CDFA Issues Psyllid Advisory for San Benito County
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) issued a Pest Detection Advisory Notice (No. PD05-2015) on April 27, 2015, indicating a psyllid was trapped in Hollister, California (San Benito County), on March 3, 2015. In response to the detection, CDFA will treat nearby properties, increase trap densities and conduct visual surveys on find sites ...
Crop Insurance Deadline Nears for Conservation Compliance
In the last farm bill, Congress required that producers enact certain minimal environmental standards if they farmed on highly erodible land or wetlands. These requirements are referred to as “conservation compliance,” and while not everyone has to implement practices on their land, everyone has to fill-out a certification form. Producers who want to receive the ...
Water Board Suspends Sacramento River Management Plan; Threatens Valley Water Deliveries
Last Friday, the State Water Resources Control Board suspended a previously approved (May 14, 2015) Temperature Management Plan for the Sacramento River due to reported increases in water temperatures by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau). The water temperature regulations are dictated by Endangered Species Act (ESA) ...
Psyllid Quarantine Expands in SLO County
The California Department of Food Agriculture has placed an additional portion of San Luis Obispo County under quarantine for the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) following the detection of one psyllid within the City of Arroyo Grande, in the Highlands area. The quarantine expansion adds 32 square miles, bringing the total quarantine area in San Luis Obispo ...
Ag’s Effect on Jobs Demonstrated through the Power of Social Media
America’s farmers provide food for the world. Everyone knows that, though sometimes, the abundance and variety of food we have access to can easily be, and often is, taken for granted. The breadth and depth of the agriculture industry – everything from the jobs it creates, to the significant contributions the industry has on economies ...
Senior Water Rights Curtailed in Delta, San Joaquin & Sacramento River Watersheds
Excerpts from state water resources control board announcement: The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) announced today that there is insufficient water available for senior water right holders with a priority date of 1903 or later in the San Joaquin and Sacramento River watersheds and the Delta. The curtailment notices affect 276 pre-1914 ...
Psyllid Found in Commercial Citrus Crop in SLO County
For the first time in San Luis Obispo County, an Asian citrus psyllid has been found in a commercial orange crop. Psyllids have been discovered four times prior, but all have been at residences. The invasive pest was found by county agriculture officials near the border of Santa Barbara County. State officials are working with ...
Cal-OSHA Issues Statewide High Heat Warning
With above normal temperatures expected in California through next Monday, Cal/OSHA issued a high heat advisory to all employers reminding them to protect outdoor workers from the risks associated with heat illness. Temperatures in Southern California are expected to be 15-25 degrees above normal. Above average temperatures are also forecast for northern California. California’s heat…
Bakersfield Psyllid Detections Extend Kern County Quarantine Area
The discovery of two Asian citrus pysllids within the city of Bakersfield has placed two different portions of Kern County under quarantine. One detection was made in the Winchester area and the other in the Panorama Drive area. According to a press release issued by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), “The quarantine ...
In Memoriam: Lewis Janowsky
Western Growers extends our deepest condolences to the family, friends and co-workers of former Western Growers employee, Lewis P. Janowsky. Janowsky passed away on Saturday, June 13, 2015, at his home in Santa Ana, California, surrounded by his family and close friends, of complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 64 years old. Lew spent six years ...
H-2A Visa Processing “Glitch” Update
Over 10 days following its initial announcement that a hardware failure halted the processing of over 3000 H-2A visas nationwide, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to work on a fix to the biometric data transmission system used to process security checks. There has been no official word from the U.S. State Department or ...
Some H-2A Workers Still Stuck at the Border
Yesterday, Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif appeared on Bloomberg Television to urge immediate remedies related to a computer hardware “glitch” that has prevented the processing of thousands of U.S. visas around the world since June 9. The glitch affected applications for H-2A agricultural workers needed in, California, Arizona, Washington and other parts of the ...
Water. Rest. Shade.
Weather forecasts this week show temperatures in California’s Central Valley are expected to reach the mid 90’s while the mercury will be pushing 110 degrees in the Imperial Valley and in western Arizona. Western Growers would like to remind members to adhere to your state’s specific regulations regarding heat illness prevention (HIP), particularly in California ...
Psyllid Quarantine Extends into Alameda County
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) issued a press release yesterday announcing the expansion of Asian citrus psyllid quarantine areas. Excerpts from the release are as follows: “Following the detection of an Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) within the City of San Jose, the existing quarantine has been expanded to include an additional ...
Don’t let the politicians fool you, TPP is good for the San Joaquin Valley
By Harold McClarty President of HMC Farms How did we get here? Support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) seems to have evaporated into thin air, especially among Republicans who traditionally support such agreements. Donald Trump, the party’s standard-bearer, has chosen to align himself with the economic nationalism wing of the GOP. For her part, Hillary Clinton ...
“Joint Employer” Decision – Major Victory for H-2A Employers
On October 15, 2021, the U.S. District Court for Los Angeles, issued a substantial (79-page decision) case brought by the CRLA Foundation against two Santa Maria based Growers and Marketer Defendants who sold their strawberry products on a non-exclusive basis. By way of historical background, the CRLA Foundation filed a class action civil lawsuit against ...