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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…
CalRecycle Pulls Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54) Regulations for Revisions
On January 9, 2026, CalRecycle withdrew proposed regulations to implement the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54) from the Office of Administrative Law's review to make changes to the regulations to improve clarity and support successful implementation of the law. CalRecycle’s focus for these revisions will primarily be applicable to food and…
CDFA Announces FREP Request for Proposals Update
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has announced a delay in the release of the 2026 request for pre-proposals for the Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP). The request will be issued later this year to allow FREP time to review industry needs. Notifications will be sent through the FREP listserv once additional details are available. Each year, FREP solicits…
Register Today: UCR Roundtable on Future Careers in Agriculture, Food and Sustainability
The Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (CAFE); the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS); and the SoCal OASIS invite you to UC Riverside’s first Agriculture Roundtable, uniting community college and industry partners to discuss future education and workforce development to sustain the agriculture sector in Inland Southern California. The program features…
Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Applauds Bipartisan Specialty Crops Caucus, Urges Immediate Action on Farm Aid
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2025 — The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) today applauded the bipartisan leadership of the Congressional Specialty Crop Caucus for urging immediate and equitable economic relief for specialty crop producers and called on Congress and the administration to act without delay. The bipartisan group of more than 100 members of Congress sent a letter today to the…
State Water Board Unveils New Data Visualization Tool for Ag Expert Panel
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) staff has developed a Data Visualization Power BI Tool using available Irrigation and Nutrient Management Plan (INMP) Summary Report data. This tool is designed for the Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel (Panel) to evaluate and compare statewide reported nitrogen data for growers enrolled in the ILRP. It was developed to assist…
Specialty Crops Express Disappointment with Farm Aid Package
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 8, 2025) – The co-chairs of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement in response to President Trump's aid package for farmers announced on Dec. 8, 2025: “We are disappointed that specialty crop growers were not included in today's announcement. As we wrote to the President on October 6, 2025, family farms that produce safe and…
Produce Industry Leader Fred Webber Mourned
Fred Webber, retired president and CEO for the Fruit & Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation, died November 24. He leaves behind a remarkable legacy shaped by his dedication to fairness and ethical trading in the fresh produce industry. Fred began his career in the USDA PACA Branch as a Marketing Specialist, where he developed his signature craft and became an impartial defender of…
PAGA Reforms Cultivating a More Balanced Labor System for California Growers
California’s farmers and agricultural businesses are seeing the benefits of a more balanced system under the 2024 legislative reforms to the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). According to a new report issued this week by California’s leading employment law firms, key early successes of the PAGA reforms include: Narrower Standing Reduces Frivolous Lawsuits. Employers and defense…
Agriculture Workforce Coalition Announces Leadership Transition
Washington, D.C. (November 19, 2025)-The steering committee for the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC), a broad-based coalition of ag groups seeking meaningful, long-term labor reform, unanimously elected American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall and Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia as the new Co-Chairs of the coalition. They succeed Chuck Conner, who retired…
Arizona LGMA Hosting Training Sessions on Cleaning and Sanitizing Harvest Equipment
The Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) is offering two upcoming in-person training sessions on cleaning and sanitizing harvest equipment, available in both English and Spanish. The sessions will take place at the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA): Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. MST | English Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. MST |…
Fresh Produce Recall Readiness Webinar
Join Western Growers Science for a session focused on fresh produce recall readiness and the evolving landscape of recall insurance. In this webinar, we’ll highlight the most common gaps and barriers our featured speakers continue to see when companies implement recall programs. They’ll also walk through practical solutions to help overcome these challenges and strengthen overall recall…
WGU: Effective Employee Performance Management Webinar (English & Spanish)
With competing demands and constant workplace disruptions, your team looks to you for direction, guidance, and inspiration. In this session, you’ll discover proven techniques to coach your team more effectively and help employees move from feeling threatened to challenged and fulfilled. Learn how to maximize your coaching style, address performance gaps, and build a more competent and…
Western Growers Women: Crisis Communications 101 Webinar
Join the Western Growers Women Program on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, for a one-hour session focused on practical steps to prepare your company for public-facing challenges. Ann Donahue, Western Growers Director of Marketing and Communications, walks you through the steps you can take to prepare your company to publicly respond to an unexpected event. Scenarios will include dealing with…
AgTech Workshop: Practical Tools for Smart Farming
The transition from conventional to sustainable agricultural practices is leading to noticeable shifts in farm worker demands—requiring knowledge of cutting-edge technologies, such as drones, robotics, IoT and artificial intelligence (AI). This workshop facilitates the transition to new technologies for agricultural professionals. During this two-day workshop, gain the knowledge and skills…
AZDA Agriculture, Soil Health, and Water Efficiency Innovation Pilot Program Now Accepting Applications
The Arizona Department of Agriculture's (AZDA) Agriculture, Soil Health, and Water Efficiency Innovation Pilot Program is now accepting applications. The purpose of the program is to provide a source of funding for agricultural landowners, beneficial owners of trust land, lessee of agricultural land or irrigation districts to implement and collect data for water-focused soil health innovations…
State Water Board to Hold Public Working Group Sessions for Second Statewide Ag Expert Panel
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will hold public working group sessions for the Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel on the following dates: Friday, November 14, 2025, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm Wednesday, November 19, 2025, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm These sessions will facilitate Panel deliberations on issues relevant to the Panel charge questions,…
Caribbean Fruit Fly Quarantine Issued in Part Of Los Angeles County
A portion of Los Angeles County, Calif. has been placed under quarantine for the Caribbean fruit fly (CFF) following the detection of two adult CFFs in and around the City of Montebello. The quarantine area measures 75 square miles, bordered on the north by the city of Alhambra; on the south by the city of Downey; on the west by the city of Huntington Park; and on the east by the city of…
Western Growers University: Having Tough Conversations Webinar – English and Spanish Sessions
Are you struggling to give direct feedback and helpful corrections? This interactive session will provide you with tools to structure difficult conversations in ways that are both respectful and productive. You’ll learn seven proven tips to navigate tough discussions that build more authentic, meaningful working relationships while driving stronger performance across your team. Why…
Western Growers Association Joins U.S. Food Waste Pact
The Grower Association Becomes the First Signatory Representing the Agricultural Sector [Chicago, IL, October 7, 2025] — Western Growers Association, the trade association representing farmers in the West and Southwest regions of the United States, has joined the U.S. Food Waste Pact (Pact), a joint initiative led by nonprofits ReFED and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to reduce food waste…