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Ann Donahue
Western Growers, Director, Marketing and Communications

Ann Donahue serves as Director, Marketing and 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, […]

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Western Growers Announces $1.5 Million, Three-Year Partnership with Reservoir Farms

Deal will help WG members evaluate agtech solutions for their toughest challenges IRVINE, CALIF. (May 8, 2026) - Western Growers today unveiled the details behind its three-year, $1.5 million partnership with on-farm agtech robotics innovation center Reservoir Farms, a commitment that gives WG members and affiliated startups exclusive access and opportunities for robotics field…

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Broad Coalition of Farmers, Dairy Product Makers, Packaging Manufacturers, Restaurants, and Grocers Sue California Over “Speech Ban” Law That Undermines Recycling and Violates the First Amendment

A broad coalition of farmers, food producers, restaurants, packaging manufacturers, and grocers today filed a federal lawsuit challenging California’s SB 343 (2021), calling the law an unconstitutional restriction on free speech that will reduce recycling, confuse consumers, and increase cost pressures for California families. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern…

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Western Growers Issues Statement in Response to U.S. DOI’s $889 Million Western Water Infrastructure Investment 

IRVINE, CALIF. (March 17, 2026) - Western Growers issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Interior announcing an $889 million investment in Western water infrastructure: “We are excited to see federal water infrastructure funds being deployed to address critical canal system deficiencies to ensure reliability for California farmers served by those systems,"…

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Join Western Growers in Supporting the USDA’s Voice of the Farmer Garden! 

Western Growers has partnered with the Farm Journal Foundation to bring the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Voice of the Farmer Garden to the National Mall in Washington D.C. – and we would love your support. Under the oversight of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Aubrey Bettencourt, the new interactive learning space will be a permanent outdoor exhibition where…

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Western Growers Issues Statement in Response to 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

IRVINE, CALIF. (Jan. 12, 2026) - Western Growers issued the following statement in response to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: “The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines unveiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture reaffirm our own motto that Western Growers members ‘grow the best medicine in the world,'” said Western Growers Senior…

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Western Growers Mourns the Passing of Rep. Doug LaMalfa

IRVINE, CALIF. (Jan. 6, 2026) - Following the passing of Rep. Doug LaMalfa, Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia issued this statement: "As a farmer, Rep. LaMalfa was a stalwart defender of the agriculture industry, with a deep understanding of the needs and challenges faced by rural communities. He was a dedicated public servant who stepped into the arena, both during his tenure in…

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Western Growers Issues Statement in Response to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project Update 

IRVINE, CALIF. (Dec. 5, 2025) - Western Growers issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's update to the long-term plan for the Central Valley Project: “Right on cue, those committed to throttling back water for farms and cities are apoplectic at the Bureau of Reclamation’s revision of operating policies that could result in an additional 400,000 acre…

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Rob Yraceburu of The Wonderful Company Elected New Western Growers Board Chair

SAN DIEGO (Nov. 10, 2025) - Western Growers’ membership of family farmers and growers have elected Rob Yraceburu, President of Wonderful Orchards at The Wonderful Company, to serve as Chair of the Western Growers Board of Directors for a two-year term. Yraceburu’s long relationship with the organization, which represents two-thirds of America’s fresh produce, spans more than two decades…

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Western Growers Issues Statement on MAHA Commission Report

IRVINE, CALIF. (Sept. 9, 2025) - In response to the MAHA Commission report released today, Western Growers issued the following statement: “The Trump Administration’s MAHA Commission finally places a long-overdue emphasis on realigning our national food and nutrition policies to greatly enhance the role of fresh produce,” said Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia. “At the…

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Western Growers Wants Your Old Family Photos from the Farm! 

First we came for your pet photos to run in the magazine. Now we want old photos of your family and farm for a year-long party!  It’s Western Growers’ 100th Anniversary next year – and we want to celebrate the milestone by honoring the legacies of our members. We have a number of projects in the works – a coffeetable book, a short documentary film and some surprises – and we’d…

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Western Growers Awarded $486,000 from USDA to Create Sustainable Fresh Produce Packaging Alignment Across North America

IRVINE, CALIF. (Aug. 7, 2025) - Western Growers (WG) was awarded $486,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of the 2025 Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program, which will allow WG to spearhead a partnership between fresh produce industry stakeholders to develop and implement sustainable fresh produce packaging alignment across North America. The…

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WG Members Received Preferred Pricing for Agtonomy-Enabled Equipment

WG members are eligible to receive discounts on seasonal rental, leasing or purchasing equipment from Agtonomy, a resident at the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology. Agtonomy-enabled automated equipment can be used to mow, weed and haul and comes with full training, reliable support and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee for qualified growers. “One challenge I hear…

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Western Growers Announces Groundbreaking Food Safety Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

IRVINE, CALIF. (July 28, 2025) - Western Growers (WG) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to improve proactive, science-based food safety standards focused on prevention of outbreaks and the protection of public health. The MOU creates a data-sharing pilot project focused on fresh produce food safety data. This project will use…

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New Voices of the Valley: Agtech’s Field of Dreams in Salinas

In this Voices of the Valley episode, Western Growers Senior Vice President, Innovation, Walt Duflock and The Reservoir CEO Danny Bernstein introduce Reservoir Farms, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Salinas, Calif., where agtech startups can work with growers to do field trials of their technologies. In tandem with endeavors from the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology,…

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John Harris, Titan of California Agriculture, Dies at 81 

Harris Farm Group’s John Harris, who changed the face of California agriculture during his six decades in the industry, has died. He was 81.  Harris embodied the diversity of California agribusiness. The Harris Farms Group includes Harris Fresh and the Harris Farms Thoroughbred Division, in addition to the landmark property known to all Californians on I-5.  In 2022, Harris received…

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Western Growers to Honor Stewart Resnick at 2025 Annual Meeting

IRVINE, CALIF. (June 16, 2025) - Western Growers will present The Wonderful Company Chairman, President and Co-Owner Stewart Resnick with the 2025 Award of Honor at the organization's 99th Annual Meeting in November. The Award of Honor is Western Growers' highest recognition of achievement and is given annually to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural…

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Western Growers’ GreenLink® Wins the International Association for Food Protection’s 2025 Food Safety Innovation Award

IRVINE, CALIF. (May 15, 2025) - The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) will present Western Growers with the 2025 Food Safety Innovation Award for its GreenLink® data-sharing platform during IAFP 2025 in Cleveland on July 27-30. "The selection committee is pleased to recognize the Western Growers Association for GreenLink®, a data-sharing program where growers, shippers…

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Western Growers and the California Women for Agriculture Coachella Valley Chapter Host Student Ag Careers Tour

Eighty Coachella Valley High School and Indio High School students participated in an agricultural career tour on March 28 thanks to Western Growers and the CWA Coachella Valley Chapter. Peter Rabbit Farms, Prime Time, Olson Engineering and West Coast Turf gave the students a hands-on look at the diversity of careers available in the ag industry via tour buses that took them to a farm…

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Western Growers Board of Directors Meet with Arizona State Officials at Quarterly Board Meeting

As part of its quarterly board meeting, this week the Western Growers Board of Directors met with state leadership in Arizona to advocate for the specialty crop industry. Arizona Department of Agriculture Director Paul Brierley spoke to the group as part of the Opening Luncheon of the Phoenix board meeting; he updated the group on the Arizona’s response to avian flu, pest pressures and…

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Owyhee Produce’s Bailey Myers Reveals How to Start an Agritourism Operation on Your Farm

Sure, sure you can do a farm tour. But how about goat yoga? Festivals? Air BnBs? Bailey Myers, the Director of Marketing at Owyhee Produce in Parma, Idaho, appeared on a recent episode of Western Growers’ Voices of the Valley podcast to discuss how she helps diversify her farm’s revenue stream via agritourism offerings. Ann Donahue, Director of Marketing and Communications at Western…

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