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CDFA Releases Climate Resilience Strategy for California Agriculture
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announces the release of the Climate Resilience Strategy for California Agriculture (Strategy). The document provides a comprehensive overview of state actions designed to help the agricultural community prepare for, respond to, and thrive under the many conditions imposed by climate change, from uncertainty about water supply and drought…
USDA Reopens Acreage Reporting Period for Specialty Crop Farmers Impacted by Unfair Market Disruptions
Specialty Crops Acreage Reporting Deadline for 2025 is Now April 24 Washington, D.C., March 31, 2026 – The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced the agency is reopening the 2025 crop acreage reporting period required for specialty crop producers who want to apply for the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program. Announced by U.S. Secretary of…
State Water Board Releases Draft Report of Recommendations of the Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) has released the draft report of recommendations of the Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel (Panel). The draft encompasses Panel recommendations on issues relevant to the Panel charge questions, which ask the Panel to consider the approaches in State Water Board Order WQ 2018-0002, In the Matter of Review of Waste Discharge…
The 2026 Western Food Safety Conference Comes to Salinas on May 6–7
The Western Food Safety Conference will take place May 6–7 in Salinas, CA. Now in its 21st year, the conference has become a cornerstone event for advancing food safety education, research and collaboration across the fresh produce industry. Bringing together leaders from industry, academia and regulatory agencies, the conference creates a unique forum to share critical insights, explore…
“Dirty Dozen” List Again Smears Safe, Healthy Produce
(Washington, DC) - The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) “Dirty Dozen” report once again villainizes safe, healthy, and affordable fruits and vegetables by misrepresenting U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pesticide data. In its usual approach, EWG overstates the risk of consumer pesticide exposure by leaving out a key detail: more than 99% of the commodities sampled by the U.S.…
State Water Board Seeks Input on Agricultural Expert Panel Draft Report
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) is accepting public comments on the Recommendations of the Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel (Panel) Draft Report (Draft Panel Report), offering stakeholders an opportunity to help shape future water quality and agricultural policies. The Draft Panel Report will be available on or before March 30, 2026, on the…
Western Growers, SCFBA Among 54 Groups Calling on Administration for Farmer Support
Severe weather, high expenses and global uncertainty are hitting farmers from all sides, squeezing them to the breaking point. Fifty-four agriculture groups laid out the challenges facing rural America in a letter to President Trump today. The letter recognizes progress made last year in enhancing farm risk management tools and securing much-needed tax relief for farmers, but says additional…
Reservoir Opens Specialty Crop AgTech Innovation Center
Partners Create High-Density Hub of Innovators and Growers to Accelerate R&D and Field-Ready Technology for Food Production Salinas, CA, March 17, 2026 – Reservoir today officially opened Reservoir Farms - Salinas, its flagship on-farm innovation hub for specialty crops, turning its vision for an on-farm agtech innovation center into a working reality. The new site features multiple…
You’re Invited: Ag Leaders to Host California Gubernatorial Candidate Forum – April 1 in Fresno
A broad coalition of more than 30 agricultural organizations will host a California gubernatorial candidate forum focused on affordability and rural issues in the state. The California Gubernatorial Candidate Forum: Affordability and Rural California will bring together many of the major gubernatorial candidates from both parties for a substantive discussion on the issues shaping the future…
Produce Safety Alliance Seeks Feedback for Pilot Grower Training Course
The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) is developing Version 2.0 of its Grower Training (GT) course curriculum and is inviting members of the produce industry to help pilot the updated program. To ensure balanced representation across stakeholder groups, a selection process to participate in these courses is being conducted using a Qualtrics survey. PSA is targeting these four specific groups: …
Specialty Crops Applaud Committee Approval of H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 5, 2026) — The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement on the approval of H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, by the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture. “The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance commends Chairman Thompson for his leadership, and we are grateful to the House Agriculture Committee for advancing…
Zoila Chevez Supports Produce Safety Through Data and Research at Western Growers
Zoila joined Western Growers in September 2025, where she supports data quality initiatives and works to standardize large datasets from GreenLink. She is particularly interested in how structured, reliable data can strengthen safety systems and enable risk- and evidence-based decision-making. As an up-and-coming professional in the fresh produce industry, Zoila is eager to learn as much…
Statewide Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program: Upcoming Ag Expert Panel Session on March 11
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will hold a public working group session for the Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel (Panel) on the following date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 2 p.m. PST to 6 p.m. PST The session will facilitate Panel deliberations on issues relevant to the Panel charge questions, which ask the Panel to consider the approaches in…
Register for the Webinar: The Supreme Court Decision Overturning the IEEPA Tariff – March 6
The February 10, 2026, Supreme Court decision has left many surprised with the rare repudiation of Presidential action. In overturning the IEEPA tariff, the Court has raised significant questions for agricultural producers, importers and retailers. This webinar will break down what the ruling means in practical terms, including whether there will be refunds of the 12 to 14 billion dollars in…
WG Member Early Bird Tickets Now Available for the 2026 Biological Summit
Early Bird tickets for the Salinas Biological Summit, scheduled for June 23-24, 2026, in Salinas, Calif., are available for purchase, and Western Growers members are eligible for a discounted rate. Presented by Western Growers and Wharf42, the two-day Summit brings together local and international industry experts, agricultural businesses and innovators to share knowledge, insights and best…
New Publication Highlights Cross-Sector Food Safety Collaboration
A new paper published in the March/April issue of the Food Protection Trends highlights a collaborative effort between the produce and animal protein industries to address contamination risks in agricultural production environments. The article, “The Sustainable Alliance for Food EcoSystems – Produce and Animal Protein Industries Working Together to Address Contamination in…
Specialty Crop Alliance Applauds Release of the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2026 — The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement regarding the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 released by House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson. “The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance commends Chairman Thompson and his staff for advancing the farm bill process and including key provisions that…
Specialty Crop Leaders Renew Call for Additional Dedicated Aid for the Sector
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2026 — Specialty crop leaders issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement providing bridge payments for specialty crops and sugar totaling up to $1 billion as part of the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program. “We are still reviewing the details of today's announcement and will be reaching out…
State Water Board Releases List of Potential 2026 Temporary Transfers
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) has compiled a list of potential temporary transfers that may be filed in 2026. The list is posted on the State Water Board’s Water Transfers Program website under News and Announcements: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/petitions/transfers.html. If you would like to be included as an interested…
Business Coalition Applauds Key Provisions of New PAGA Regulations
SACRAMENTO, CA – The FixPAGA Coalition, first formed in 2021 to support needed reforms to California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), today issued the following statement after the release of draft regulations to modify the filings of claims with the state’s Labor & Workforce Development Agency: “We are encouraged by much of what we’ve seen in the Agency’s proposed…