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, […]
Posts By: Ann Donahue
- All
- May, 2026
- April, 2026
- March, 2026
- January, 2026
- December, 2025
- November, 2025
- September, 2025
- August, 2025
- July, 2025
- June, 2025
- May, 2025
- April, 2025
- March, 2025
- February, 2025
- January, 2025
- October, 2024
- July, 2024
- June, 2024
- April, 2024
- March, 2024
- January, 2024
- November, 2023
- October, 2023
- September, 2023
- August, 2023
- July, 2023
- June, 2023
- May, 2023
- April, 2023
- March, 2023
- February, 2023
- January, 2023
- December, 2022
- November, 2022
- October, 2022
- September, 2022
- August, 2022
- July, 2022
- June, 2022
- May, 2022
- April, 2022
- March, 2022
- February, 2022
- January, 2022
- December, 2021
- November, 2021
- October, 2021
- September, 2021
- August, 2021
- July, 2021
- June, 2021
- April, 2021
Western Growers Praises Gov. Newsom’s Bold Water Supply Strategy for California
IRVINE, CALIF. (Aug. 11, 2022) – In response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Water Supply Strategy that was announced today, Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia issued the following statement: “We applaud Governor Newsom’s bold and comprehensive water infrastructure and management strategy. Our farms are in distress due to water insecurity, increasingly placing millions…
Western Agricultural Coalition Warns of Rural Economic Upheaval Without Effective Deployment of Drought Response Funding
IRVINE, CALIF. (Aug. 29, 2022) – In a letter sent to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton, a coalition of agricultural organizations offered their support, assistance and counsel for the immediate implementation of drought funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. Key coalition principles include: The…
Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Issues Statement of Principles
The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 200 specialty crop organizations representing growers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products, has released its statement of principles for consideration of the 2023 Farm Bill. The SCFBA was established to advocate for broad-based Farm Bill policy ...
Western Growers Debuts ‘Water for Farms’ Online Video Series
IRVINE, CALIF. (Sept. 6, 2022) – Western Growers is debuting five documentary short videos online today that give first-hand accounts of how the unrelenting historic drought is hurting Caifornia farmers. Produced in association with the California Farm Water Coalition, the videos show the drought’s impact on consumers via stories from Booth Ranches in Orange Cove, ...
Robots to conquer Fresno fields at FIRA USA in October 2022
The beginnings of a robotics revolution in the agricultural world will take place in California on Oct. 18-20. Over 800 people who work in the food system, technology experts and others are expected to gather at FIRA USA in Fresno, Calif., to discover the latest self-sustaining solutions to farm labor shortages and environmental challenges. They ...
Statement of Western Growers on Signing of AB 2183
IRVINE, CALIF. (Sept. 29, 2022) – Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of AB 2183 into law, Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia issued the following statement: “It is shameful that Governor Newsom invoked the name of Cesar Chavez in signing AB 2183. Instead of advancing the labor icon’s movement, as the Governor claimed, California ...
Drought in California: Farmers Already Forced to Abandon Crops as Additional Water Restrictions Loom (Video)
Western Growers releases video series “No Water = No Crops” IRVINE, CA (July 12, 2021) – In “No Water = No Crops,” a series of videos released today by Western Growers, three California farmers show the impact the drought is having on their operations, and the cascading losses that result to farmworkers and their communities. “This is one of the…
Celebrating the Skills of the Farmers and Farmworkers Who Bring Food to Your Table (Video)
IRVINE, CA (July 20, 2021) – In “Farm Fresh,” a series of videos released today on YouTube by Western Growers, we celebrate the extraordinary skills and ingenuity of the farmers and farmworkers who work to bring food to America’s tables. In previews posted to Facebook, the “Farm Fresh” series received almost 14 million views. “Farm Fresh: ...
National Ag, Water Coalition Applauds Senate Passage of Infrastructure Bill
IRVINE, Calif. (August 10, 2021) – With nearly two-thirds of the West experiencing extreme or exceptional drought conditions, and more than 90 active wildfires burning across the U.S., a national coalition representing thousands of Western farmers, ranchers, water providers, businesses and communities underscored the significance of Senate passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure…
Western Growers Unveils Middle School to Post-Graduate Agtech Career Development Pipeline
IRVINE, Calif. (August 26, 2021) – Western Growers (WG) has bolstered its workforce development efforts with the launch of five initiatives aimed at transitioning the agriculture workforce to master rapidly developing agricultural technology. The initiatives make up WG’s Agtech Workforce Readiness Campaign, which was announced last night at AgTechX Ed at Reedley College. “We need ...
Western Growers Denounces Passage of AB 616 in California Legislature
IRVINE, CALIF. (Sept. 2, 2021) – In response to passage of AB 616 by the California State Legislature–first in the Senate on August 26 and then in the Assembly on September 1–Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia issued the following statement: “It is both ironic and shameful that a body of elected leaders would act ...
California Fresh Produce Industry Decries Assembly Action on SB 559
IRVINE, CALIF. (September 8, 2021) – In response to California State Senator Melissa Hurtado being forced to pull SB 559 after the California State Assembly Appropriations Committee removed all funding provisions, a coalition of leading California fresh produce organizations issued the following statement: “With nearly 90 percent of the state in extreme or exceptional…
National Coalition Urges Additional Water, Conservation Resources in Reconciliation Package
IRVINE, Calif. (September 20, 2021) – With over 80 percent of the West currently experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional drought conditions, and more than 2.2 million acres of land already burned across the Western states, a national coalition representing agriculture, public water agencies and the environmental and conservation communities urged Congress to include resources for…
Western Growers to Honor Carol Chandler at the 2021 Annual Meeting
IRVINE, CALIF. (September 21, 2021) – Western Growers will honor agriculture advocate, educator, philanthropist and trailblazer Carol Chandler with the 2021 Award of Honor. The Award of Honor is Western Growers’ highest recognition of achievement and is given to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural community. Chandler is partner of Chandler Farms in…
Western Growers Commends Governor Newsom for AB 616 Veto
IRVINE, CALIF. (September 22, 2021) – In response to Governor Newsom’s veto of AB 616, Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia issued the following statement: “We commend Governor Newsom for rejecting the most recent UFW-backed attempt to dismantle the secret ballot election for farmworkers. In vetoing AB 616, Governor Newsom has preserved the integrity of ...
A Podcast About Technology and Agriculture: Voices of the Valley Returns to Explore the Real-World Impact of Innovation
IRVINE, CALIF. (October 6, 2021) – The first two episodes of the new season of Voices of the Valley, hosted by Dennis Donohue, the Director of Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology, and Candace Wilson, the Vice President of Business Development of GreenVenus, are now available. Each week, Donohue and Wilson will interview leading entrepreneurs, ...
Almond Grove Recycling and the Second Life of an Orchard
IRVINE, CALIF. (October 20, 2021) – As the drought continues to devastate California almond growers, Almond Board of California Chief Science Officer Josette Lewis is looking for a silver lining by studying ways to give almond groves a sustainable second life. In the most recent episode of Voices of the Valley, the podcast hosted by ...
Western Growers SVP, Science De Ann Davis Reappointed to Prestigious National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods
IRVINE, CALIF. (October 21, 2021) – Western Growers Senior Vice President, Science De Ann Davis, PhD, will serve a second two-year term as a member of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). The Committee provides impartial scientific advice to federal agencies to use in developing integrated food safety systems from farm ...
Burro: From AgSharks Winner to $10.9 Million Series A Round, Charlie Andersen is Building a Company for the Long Haul
IRVINE, CALIF. (October 27, 2021) – On the heels of closing a $10.9 million Series A round of funding, Burro CEO Charlie Andersen said his company is set to meet the needs of growers – even as those needs are constantly changing and close to impossible to predict. In the most recent episode of Voices of the Valley, ...
AgVoice: Turning a Perpetual Ag Pain Point into Patented Technology
IRVINE, CALIF. (November 3, 2021) – Hands-free access to digital technology is a ubiquitous problem in the agriculture industry, said Bruce Rasa, CEO and Co-founder of AgVoice, and his company’s solution to the issue was just awarded a patent three months ago. AgVoice is the world’s first voice-to-data service that allows farmers and the ag specialists that ...