Posts By: Western Growers

Update on Potential FDA Activities Related to Flooding and Sampling Assignments

In late May 2023, Western Growers staff learned about two activities the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering conducting over the next few months in regard to food safety and inspection: Over-the-phone surveys (estimated 30 minutes or longer) with growers to understand the produce industry’s response to flooding and assess impacts in California Inspection and environmental…

Western Growers Welcomes Food Safety Expert Frank Yiannas as an Advisor to GreenLink™

The Western Growers Science Team is excited to announce the addition of Frank Yiannas as an advisor to GreenLink™, the WG food safety data sharing platform. Frank is a renowned food safety leader and the former Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Frank brings with him his passion for food safety and for protecting consumer health through…

Save the Date June 18 — Western Growers’ Central Valley Issues Forums

Western Growers’ Central Coast Issues Forums were such a huge success, we decided to host another round! Next up — the Central Valley.  So ‘Save the Date’ because on Thursday, June 18, the Western Growers’ team will be visiting Fresno, Los Banos, and Bakersfield to hear from YOU. What issues concern you most?  What would ...

Madera County Added to Quarantined Psyllid Areas

Yet another area of the state has been quarantined by state agriculture officials after the detection of a single Asian citrus psyllid was discovered in Madera County.  According to a press release issued by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, (CDFA), a 100–square-mile portion in Madera County has been quarantined.  The border of the ...

Asian Citrus Psyllid Detection Draws Fresno County into List Quarantined Counties

The detection of three Asian citrus psyllids on the border of Tulare and Fresno Counties has prompted California agriculture officials to quarantine approximately 30-square miles in Fresno County.  Fresno had not previously been on the list of counties quarantined in part or in full.  A quarantine is in effect for all of Tulare County.  The ...

West Coast Port Labor Dispute Worsens; Nassif Issues Statement

Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif issued a statement today calling on President Obama to intervene in the negotiations to bring about a prompt resolution of the ongoing dispute between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshoreman and Warehouse Union (ILWU) workers.  Fresh fruit and vegetable exports continue to face serious deliverability ...

Obama Directs Labor Secretary to Intervene in West Coast Port Negotiations

President Obama has dispatched his labor secretary to engage in talks with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in order to try to bring an end to the months-long contract dispute between both parties.  Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez will attempt to intervene and end the dispute ...

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 ...

Test Gallery

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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…