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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…
Western Growers, National Coalition File Amicus Brief Supporting H-2A Rule
Western Growers recently joined a national coalition, led by the NC Chamber, in filing an amicus brief in United Farm Workers, et al., v. U.S. Department of Labor, et al., a case currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The national coalition’s brief supports the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) methodology rule issued by the Trump…
Business Organizations Applaud Decision to Sideline Senate Bill 310
SACRAMENTO, CA – The coalition of business advocacy organizations that came together almost two years ago to reform California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) today released the following statement on the failure of Senate Bill 310 to meet the legislative deadline for Senate passage: “The decision to not move forward on SB 310 this legislative session is the right call, an…
Statewide Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program: Upcoming Ag Expert Panel Session on February 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, February 11, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PST. To register for the meeting, click here. The session will facilitate Panel deliberations on issues relevant to the Panel charge questions,…
Business Coalition Urges Legislature To Reject Senate Bill 310
(Jan. 23, 2026) SACRAMENTO, CA – A historic reform between business groups and labor to reduce abusive lawsuits and expedite recovery for employees is once again under attack, this time by newly amended legislation in the California Legislature. Senate Bill 310, which failed to move forward in 2025, is back in play and threatens to unleash a torrent of frivolous wage and hour litigation…
Register for the Navigating PAGA Reforms: Practical Compliance Strategies for California Agricultural Employers Webinar
This program has been submitted for SHRM and HRCI recertification credits. Join Erica Rosasco, Esq. as she presents this dynamic webinar designed for WG members looking to navigate California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). With a focus on the agricultural industry’s unique labor and operational challenges this program will highlight recent PAGA reforms and explain how employers…
Specialty Crop Leaders Express Disappointment with Latest House Spending Bills, Call for $5B in Aid
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2026 — Specialty crop leaders this week renewed their calls for urgent economic support for U.S. growers and shared their disappointment after the U.S. House released final spending bills yesterday that did not include aid for America’s specialty crop producers. “At a time when producers face rising costs, domestic labor shortages, and severe market and weather…