Ann Donahue serves as Director, Communications for Western Growers, where she is responsible for external communication efforts and publicizing the Association’s executives, initiatives, and members across all media platforms. Ann spent more than 20 years as an editor and reporter covering entertainment journalism, with bylines at publications including Variety, the L.A. Times, Billboard, IndieWire, and […]
Reservoir Farms Incubators Open First in Salinas and Merced in 2025 Anchor Partners Include Western Growers, UC ANR, Merced College, Hartnell College, and HawkTower WOODLAND, CALIF., Oct. 23, 2024 — Today at FIRA USA 2024, the Reservoir announced the first-ever on-farm robotics incubators, Reservoir Farms, set to open in the Central and Salinas Valleys in early 2025. This pioneering…
Western Growers will bestow The Growers Company President and CEO Sonny Rodriguez with the 2024 Award of Honor at the organization’s 98th Annual Meeting in November. The Award of Honor is Western Growers’ highest recognition of achievement and is given to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural community. The Growers Company has offered custom produce harvesting…
This interview has been adapted and expanded from an episode of Western Growers’ Voices of the Valley podcast. It has been edited and formatted for print. Garrett Nishimori grew up in a farming family in Oxnard, Calif. He left to attend Cal and culinary school, after which he became a chef in a two-star Michelin restaurant in San Francisco. Fifteen years ago, he returned to his family’s…
WG SVP and General Counsel Jason Resnick and WG SVP, Innovation Walt Duflock were panelists at the April 5 Immigration and Farm Labor Conference held at UC Davis' Gifford Center for Population Studies. Resnick participated on a panel entitled "What's Next for Immigration Policy?" while Duflock spoke regarding the "Future Demand for Farm Workers."
The Western Growers Women Program gathered at the River Terrace Inn in Napa on April 18-19 for Arbinger Leadership Training and Retreat. Besides the two-day training led by WG's Training and Development Manager Priscila Cisneros, the itinerary included a winery tour, tasting and dinner at Frog's Leap Winery as well as a VIP tour of the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. Western Growers…
Fourteen future leaders from Florida’s agriculture community visited the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology on Tuesday to hear pitches from the Center’s startups and learn about how the cutting edge of agtech could be implemented in their home state. Lead by CIT Executive Director Dennis Donohue, Sonia Tighe, FFVA Director of Membership, and Tori Rumenik, FFVA Director…
Growers and government leaders urged agtech innovators to balance economic reality, safety and speed in the development of biological solutions during remarks Tuesday at the 2024 Salinas Biological Summit. In his opening remarks, Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia called biologicals an important potential solution as growers face increasing economic pressure from buyers, retailers…
In January, the Management Board of the Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) appointed Western Growers AVP, Public Affairs Cory Lunde as its Communications Chair and to serve on the organization’s Executive Committee. Lunde has been with Western Growers for more than 15 years and is responsible for overseeing all public affairs activities which includes internal and external communications,…
Disponible en español a continuación. IRVINE, CALIF. (June 5, 2024) - Western Growers will bestow The Growers Company President and CEO Sonny Rodriguez with the 2024 Award of Honor at the organization's 98th Annual Meeting in November. The Award of Honor is Western Growers' highest recognition of achievement and is given to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural…
The Western Growers Women Program gathered at the River Terrace Inn in Napa on April 18-19 for Arbinger Leadership Training and Retreat. Besides the two-day training lead by WG’s Training and Development Manager Priscila Cisneros, the itinerary included a winery tour, tasting and dinner at Frog’s Leap Winery as well as a VIP tour of the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. Western…
IRVINE, CALIF. (March 12, 2024) – Following the release of the March 7 Agriculture Labor Working Group report on the farm labor crisis, Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia wrote a letter to Agriculture Labor Working Group Co-Chairs Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., and Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., renewing his call for the U.S. Congress to take up the Farm Workforce Modernization Act: "The…
Farmers can receive a free pass to attend the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco on March 19-20, 2024 and join more than 2,500 agtech decisionmakers for themed breakout panels, start-up pitches, investor sessions, networking lunches and receptions and a 1-1 meetings hub. Confirmed speakers include: Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture …
Western Growers members are invited to connect with Canadian Produce Marketing Association Chair Colin Chapdelaine and CPMA staff at the organization's upcoming town hall and reception in Salinas. The agenda will include the following: An update on the Canadian market: Plastics and PLU stickers Regulatory updates: Forced labor, supply chain issues, Safe Food for Canadians Act’s…
KAUAI (Nov. 13, 2023) - Stuart Woolf, President and CEO of Woolf Farming & Processing, will serve as Chair of the Western Growers Board of Directors for a two-year term. Woolf was first elected to the Western Growers Board in 2015. "Western Growers is set up to meet the needs of the fresh produce industry in the Western U.S. by focusing on issues like immigration, labor and water rights,"…
USDA convened a pilot workshop over three days to facilitate collaboration between industry, government, and academia to benefit food safety and public health. The event, which included about 40 participants, consisted of field tours, a discussion on the health impacts of cadmium, the importance of spinach and carrots to the diet, current production practices in California and Arizona, and a…
The Fresno-Merced Future of Food Innovation (F3) – the recipient of a $65.1 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration for workforce development – brought growers and stakeholders together this week to drill on down on what agtech skills and certifications growers need in the Central Valley workforce. Western Growers is a supporter of the F3 grant, and several members…
Platform10, an international accelerator to promote biologicals development and implementation, was unveiled on Oct. 31 by Western Growers and Wharf42. “Growers are up against mounting pest and disease challenges due to climate change, reduced efficacy, and diminishing availability of traditional pest control tools,” said Peter Wren-Hilton, Founder and CEO of New Zealand-based consultancy…
Climate Robotics earned a funding offer of $250,000 during the sixth annual AgSharks® Pitch Competition at the Western Growers Annual Meeting KAUAI (Nov. 14, 2023) - Western Growers and S2G Ventures have announced the winner of the 2023 AgSharks® Pitch Competition, with Climate Robotics earning an equity investment offer of $250,000 from the event's judges. Climate Robotics is a…
IRVINE, CALIF. (Oct. 16, 2023) - Western Growers and S2G Ventures have announced the three finalists that will compete in the 2023 AgSharks® Competition. AgSharks® is a unique event where startup companies pitch their innovations in front of a live audience of the world’s largest specialty crop producers to win a $250,000 minimum investment. The finalists are: Climate Robotics, a…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACTS: Christina Morton, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, [email protected] Ann Donahue, Western Growers, [email protected] Mark Szymanski, National Potato Council, [email protected] Siobhan May, International Fresh Produce Association, [email protected] WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 18, 2023) – The…
